Module 6: Reflection Essay (Please note you will need to read the Strengths-Based Leadership book to complete this assignment.)
1. "What great leaders have in common is that each truly knows his or her strengths..." (Rath & Conchie, 2008). List your top five strengths as determined by the StrengthsFinder 2.0. Do you agree with this assessment? Why or why not? For example, which of the five describes you best? Is there one that surprised you? Are you currently in a job that utilizes your strengths? Explain.
2. Re-read the section of Strengths-Based Leadership that addresses the four basic needs of followers. Evaluate yourself on how well you provide each of these to your followers (even better, also ask an employee or a co-worker to evaluate you). Which come easily to you and which do you need to improve on in order to meet your followers' needs? Practically speaking, how can you do this?
3. In the Additional Resources section of the book, strategies for leading in a way that meets followers' four basic needs are presented. (Note: You only need to read the pages that address your top five strengths.) Do any of these suggestions resonate with you? Which strategies do you believe would make the biggest impact if you implemented them at work?
4. According to Rath and Conchie, how are team members typically selected? Why is this problematic? What do leaders need to understand to build an effective team? Use the chart on page 24 (How the 34 themes sort into the four domains of leadership strength) to identify what you bring to a team. For example, do your strengths fall primarily into one category or are they spread out over several? Are you actively and consistently using your strengths on your team? Explain. Is your team balanced (i.e., are all four domains covered or are everyone's strengths in the same one or two categories)? Discuss. Remember, individuals don't need to be well-rounded, but teams do.