"Remember, you can’t grow beyond constraints that are not addressed. Leaders can’t solely affirm people into greatness, feedback is the breakfast of champions." Lyle Wells
The work of Don Clifton and the Gallup organization in researching and publishing their Strengthsfinder assessment is incredibly impactful to individuals, teams and organizations. Their work in helping individuals understand their talents and strengths and how to maximize them in their careers and work is so valuable. One of the tenets of the work is that you will have the most success and impact if you work from your strengths. We should find ways, when possible, to work within our strengths and place others in our teams and organizations in roles that maximize their strengths. I agree with this. And yet, I believe it is incomplete if taken on its own.
According to the work of Flip Flippen and Dr. Chris White in Overcoming Personal Constraints, everyone has constraints and some have more than others. Constraints can have a significant impact on our lives and our careers. Unacknowledged and unaddressed they can derail us, our lives, our leadership and our happiness. One of the ways for us to gain a better understanding of how our constraints may be playing out in our role as leaders is to ensure numerous systems and processes for feedback - both formal and informal.
OOOooof! Most people dislike or fear feedback systems - it’s not all sunshine and roses - and it shouldn’t be. Every single person on this planet has constraints - has areas they can grow in. When leaders build relational capacity in their organization they build a strong bedrock where informal feedback is possible. Leaders also model how to receive, process and accept feedback - when they do they make it safe for others. When we as leaders take the time to sit with these results and get beyond the initial defensiveness and agitation to deeper reflection - and when we talk about and coach those processes to our employees - we create a culture of growth built on the honest feedback of those who most know what the impacts are of our strengths and constraints in the workplace.
“Accept the initial agitation.” Andrew Huberman explains, “the brain circuits that turn on first are of the stress system… There is a gate of entry. You have to wade through some sewage before you can swim in clear water.”
"You can demand a better standard without demeaning them.
You can hold them accountable without shaming them.
You can challenge them without crushing them.
Call people up, not out."
Kevin DeShazo
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