Put Me in Coach: Using Your Strengths to Prepare for the Next
Level Tammy Aagard University of Florida Tammy Aagard University of
Florida
Slide 2
Overview Shifting the paradigm: Weaknesses vs Strengths What
position do you play? Identifying your strengths using
StrengthsFinder 2.0 Role of the Coach and Manager Strengths of
teams Why people follow Leading for a lifetime
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Shifting the Paradigm: Weaknesses vs Strengths Focus has been
on remediation of weaknesses Self-help books Sessions at
conferences Talk shows Why focus on strengths? Talent X Investment
= Strength
Slide 4
Baseball is an allegorical play about America, a poetic,
complex, and subtle play of courage, fear, good luck, mistakes,
patience about fate, and sober self-esteem. ~ Saul Steinberg
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What Position Do You Play? Pitcher Catcher In-field Outfield
Manager Coach
Strengths-Based Leadership Four Domains of Leadership Strength
Executing Influencing Relationship Building Strategic Thinking
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Executing Make Things Happen Implement solutions Someone to
Geter done Leaders have the ability to catch an idea and make it a
reality Achiever Arranger Belief Consistency Deliberative
Discipline Focus Responsibility Restorative
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Influencing Help team reach a broader audience Selling the
teams ideas inside and outside organization Take charge, speak up,
and make sure your group is heard Activation Command Communication
Competition Maximizer Self-assurance Significance Woo
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Relationship Building Glue that holds a team together Ability
to create groups and organizations greater than the sum of the
parts Involve people, reduce distractions Adaptability Developer
Connectedness Empathy Harmony Includer Individualization Positivity
Relator
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Strategic Thinking Focus organization on what could be
Constantly absorbing and analyzing information to make the team
better Continually stretch thinking for the future Analytical
Context Futuristic Ideation Input Intellection Learner
Strategic
Slide 13
Playing All Positions? Does the leader need to be able to cover
all areas? Is that possible? How many leaders have spent countless
hours and a great deal of energy trying to be good enough in each
of these areas?
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The Coach/Manager Manager Create and implement team strategy
Lead team Create batting order Select starting pitcher Decide when
to bring in relief pitcher Coach Mentor and train players Improve
techniques and form Relay signals Direct baserunners
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I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone
else to go chase it. ~Rogers Hornsby
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The Strength of a Team Team Member
ExecutingInfluencingRelationship Building Strategic Thinking Assoc
Registrar Arranger Responsibility AdaptabilityContext Input Assoc
Registrar Deliberative Achiever Consistency Learner Analytical Prof
Staff Member Adaptability Empathy Context Input Learner Support
Staff Member Consistency Deliberative Focus HarmonyAnalytical
RegistrarMaximizerIndividuationIdeation Strategic Learner
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Team MemberExecutingInfluencingRelationship Building Strategic
Thinking Assoc RegistrarAchiever Deliberative Responsibility
Learner Input Assoc RegistrarBelief Arranger WOORelator Positivity
Support Staff Member Achiever Focus Deliberative Discipline Relator
Support Staff Member DeliberativeAdaptabilityInput Intellection
Strategic Support Staff Member AchieverMaximizerAdaptabilityInput
Intellection Support Staff Member ResponsibilityHarmony Developer
Learner Input RegistrarRestorative Responsibility Achiever Arranger
Analytical
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Common Themes of Strong Teams 1.Conflict doesnt destroy strong
teams because strong teams focus on results 2.Strong teams
prioritize whats best for the organization and then move forward
3.Members of strong teams are as committed to their personal lives
as they are to their work 4.Strong teams embrace diversity 5.Strong
teams are magnets for talent
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Why People Follow Baseball is like church. Many attend. Few
understand. ~Leo Durocher
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Followers Four Basic Needs Trust Be candid even when delivering
difficult news Successful teams spend little time talking about
trust Trust dominates discussion for struggling teams Compassion
Cares about employee as a person Stability Provide a solid
foundation Stability in the midst of change (evolving, growing
overtime) Nothing creates a sense of stability as quickly as
transparency Hope Sense of direction Enthusiasm about the future
Strive to initiate the future rather than reacting to the
present
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My Top 5 Strengths Maximizer Individuation Ideation Strategic
Learner
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Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking
they hit a triple. ~Barry Switzer
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Leadership for a Lifetime Stay true to who you are Surround
yourself with the right people Complementary strengths People who
can do something better than you ever could Focus your
self-improvement on bolstering your strengths, not remediating
weaknesses Understand why people follow and develop them into
leaders Personal success is an end in itself Your success as a
leader is measured by what continues to grow long after you are
gone
Slide 24
Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical ~
Yogi Berra