A team is built of individuals who come together towards a common goal. In business, those goals can be diverse, but typically revolve around a company mission statement and involve helping the company grow, profit, and support the local community.
As a leader, the business owner or manager must understand the complexities of building a team and must tailor fit each team member into a role that best suits his or her strengths. So what’s so hard about that? Well, it turns out, people don’t actually know what they’re good at.
Leading researchers agree, they estimate that two-thirds of people don’t know their own strengths. When people don’t know their own strengths they under-perform and can become frustrated with their work.
Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, a leading psychologist and researcher in the field with Portland State University, says, “Preliminary evidence suggests identifying and developing your strengths is associated to more feelings of engagement at work, higher levels of happiness, and greater feelings of physical and psychological energy and vitality.”
Business owners and managers need to make sure they get the best from their team. Beyond that, they are responsible for the people in their charge; they must help them be successful and to grow. So how do business leaders utilize the strengths of their team if the vast majority don’t know what their strengths actually are to start?
The answer is as simple as it is important. A good leader will use tools and expert help to identify the strengths (and weaknesses) of their team. Once you understand the skillset of your team you can then begin to ensure that the roles they fit take maximum benefit from their unique strengths. You can also build a team that balances each other in areas of strengths and areas of weakness.
One phenomenal tool that is worth investing in is Strength Finder 2.0. This is a book and a system you should consider providing to every member of your team. But as a leader, you absolutely need to take the evaluation and do the reading first yourself.
Beyond just knowing the strengths of your team it is also important to understand how they think, how they may approach a problem, and how they align themselves in relation to core values. Brian and Maryann Remsburg of Adventurous Life utilize the Core Values Index to help people understand their own path and for business leaders to better understand their team.
In addition, if you have a management team or a leadership team you should ensure everyone reads John C. Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and takes the in-book assessment to best understand their own leadership gifts and areas of struggle.
The key as a leader is to get the best of your team. People naturally want to perform at a high level, achieve their goals, and feel supported by their leaders. As a leader if you understand the challenge that most people face in not knowing their own strengths you can provide the tools to help them learn, grow, and thrive. When your team succeeds, your business grows.