1. Conduct a strengths inventory alongside your training needs analysis.  Be prepared to be surprised about what emerges.
2. Ask what people are proud of and what they want to be known for. E.g. Start a meeting with each person telling a story about what they are proud of.
3. Create an inventory of key leadership practices and how they align with your organizational, team and individual values.
4. Track employee engagement as well as productivity.  Give equal weight to both ‘what we do’ and ‘how we do it’. i.e. “Proud of what we do and how we do it.”
5. Encourage trust in leadership by having a dialogue before embarking on your next major change initiative.  Give everyone an opportunity to contribute.
6. Identify ‘needs’ from four perspectives (self, team, customer/client, organization) and link to values, behaviours and competencies.
7. Take an appreciative inquiry approach:
   • Pause, ask more, tell less and reflect on what’s working
   • Look at your organizational messaging.  How are you telling your stories? (both internally and externally).  I.e. “We made our numbers and achieved our targets AND that makes me feel proud.”
8. Be open and be fearless in the sense of attempting something different.  It may or may not work out; however, you need to try with an open mind.
9. Look back at the path you took to reach your goals and that you feel good about the way you achieved those goals.
10. Have passion and purpose in what you do; remember leadership of others is truly about self-leadership and believing that a proud and productive workplace is possible.

(PeopleTalk: Fall 2011)