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In any organization, a team’s strengths are crucial to its success or failure. Just like in basketball, where great coaches lead their teams with intention, effective leaders understand the importance of building a strong team. 

And building that team starts at the top with its leader. 

A team that works together and utilizes the unique strengths of each individual, including its “coach,” can truly flourish. In this blog post, we explore how organizations can leverage the strengths of their leaders to create winning teams.

Select Leaders Based on Strengths

Before diving into the details of a team’s individual talents, it is essential to first recognize and understand the strengths of its leader. Our research has shown that nearly 80% of a leader’s strengths come from their top five talent themes.

Rather than focusing solely on improving weaknesses, it is more effective to leverage a leader’s natural talents. This is one-third of the puzzle that makes someone exceptional in any role. By selecting talented leaders, organizations can build a solid foundation for a successful team.

Case Study: Talented Leaders in Hospitality

Our studies reveal that talented leaders have a significant impact on sales performance. By assessing all manager candidates and selecting only top performers, organizations can see a substantial increase in revenue. 

For instance, if a luxury hotel had adhered to the Talent Benchmark® recommended by Talent Plus, they could have realized over $200 million in additional sales. Similarly, organizations that select managers based on recommendations from our Talent Assessments experience higher team engagement, lower turnover rates and better budget management.

Use an Executive Interview

To identify strengths and predict success within an organization, team leaders should undergo an executive interview. This valuable assessment tool can help organizations first select and then coach talented leaders who, when matched with equally talented employees, will enjoy 36% higher employee engagement. We recommend hiring a third-party, strength-based assessment provider to ensure unbiased results. 

Talent Plus, an industry leader in talent assessments, has developed a one-on-one, executive-level assessment interview over the course of 30 years, following rigorous validation and evaluation. The interview assesses who the leader is and predicts what kind of team culture they will foster within the organization.

Case Study: Talented Leaders in Healthcare

Talented leaders play a vital role in improving engagement and performance within an organization. In healthcare, for example, engaged leaders and employees are crucial to achieving better patient outcomes. By investing in talented leaders and pairing them with talented employees, healthcare organizations can see a significant improvement in patient satisfaction and overall performance.

In fact, greater engagement equates to a 9.9-point increase in Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores. This increase results in lower mortality rates, fewer accidents and increased patient satisfaction.

Coach Leaders

Once a leader’s talents are identified, provide them with ongoing feedback and development through strength management coaching sessions. Research shows that when leaders are invested in and developed, they invest in developing others. By nurturing their talents, leaders (and those they lead) become more effective in their roles.

To effectively coach leaders, we recommend in-depth discussions with one of our leadership consultants. During their sessions, the leader and consultant will craft individualized goals based on the leader’s top talent themes. 

Case Study: Talented Leaders in Retail

Coaching leaders plays a crucial role in increasing profits and reducing turnover within organizations. Talent Plus has seen firsthand how executive coaching reduces turnover and increases revenue.

This is demonstrated by a luxury beauty retailer. By developing leaders who lead teams based on their natural talents, turnover among frontline staff was reduced by 30%, resulting in significant cost savings.

Start with the Leader

Building a winning team requires intentional leadership that leverages the strengths of each individual. By selecting talented leaders via executive interviews and investing in them with strength management coaching, organizations can foster engagement, improve performance and drive success.

Want help choosing and coaching your leaders? Contact us!

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