Recognize the Strengths in Others

The art of how to recognize the strengths in others begins with you first recognize your own strengths. The goal is not to try to be like them, but to be the kind of person they want to be. This involves taking the time to assess your skills, and then working to improve your strengths. Here are some things to do.


Facilitate collaboration. Facilitating collaboration isn't the same as collaborating with others. For instance, bring up an idea to someone else in a group session, and let that person take the initiative to explain their idea to others in the group. Another way to facilitate collaboration at your summer camp is to identify the strengths in others. Then ask them for help in building on those strengths.

Summer camp taught staff members the value of identifying the problem solving skills of each other. They called this "process improvement." By identifying the problems as soon as they arise, camp counselors were able to use problem solving skills in order to solve problems quickly.

Learn to appreciate the strengths and weaknesses in others. Camp counselors have a unique ability to identify the unique qualities in others that will serve them well as campers, counselors, or as leaders. When someone is strengths individually, it can be a great compliment to that person, but it's also important to remember that strengths sometimes need to be checked thoroughly. If a staff member brings up something during one of the team meetings that seems like an asset, it is important for everyone on the team to learn about that. If the strengths are identified as a problem, however, this person needs to be encouraged to either work on their strengths, or get help from another person who is not so strong.

Everyone on staff should recognize the strengths in themselves and in others and let that lead to recognizing the weaknesses too. There are times when a camper has a true strength that comes through in their personality, but their weaknesses are hidden. Recognition of these potential weaknesses will help the team identify the greatest strengths within each camper.

A staff member who is good with people may become the group's leader. Their strength might be in helping people learn to navigate through troubled waters, or they could have the greatest strengths in problem solving skills. If someone on staff can make everyone feel welcomed and secure, the staff will likely be able to recognize the strengths in others, while also working on the weaknesses to eliminate as many weaknesses as possible. If a person on staff does not know how to build trust with others, they might need to spend some time learning the dynamics of developing confidence, and how to build confidence. Once the groundwork has been laid with positive reinforcement, and the groundwork for trust building is in place, a person with the greatest strengths in others will become an integral part of building the greatest strength within the team.

As a leader who values and respects their own strengths, the leaders who do recognize the strengths in others will be even more effective. Each member on the team will begin to feel better about themselves, and that will spill over onto the rest of the team. Once there is a sense of relief and contentment, the individual will be more effective in getting the job done, because they will know that everyone on the team will be able to count on them to get the job done right. This is the type of mindset that will allow a camper to reach their full potential in their career.


Recognizing the weaknesses in others will help you avoid making the same mistakes. For instance, if there is a flaw in your manner of interacting with others, the weaknesses will show up in your manner of responding and handling the people around you. By avoiding the weaknesses, you can make sure that your personality shines through as the best leader possible. By making sure that your strengths are recognized, you will be setting yourself up for leadership success. The camper will then begin to use their strengths to great effect!