See strengths. Empower people. Enable performance.

The German Medical Journal is publishing several expert articles by me this year. The first has been published – and it addresses a topic that I encounter repeatedly in my work. Not only in daily clinical practice but everywhere people lead and bear responsibility: a conscious focus on the strengths of employees.

I have not only been able to deepen this topic in writing, but I have also discussed it several times in the Medical Journal podcast Until the Doctor Arrives. The conversations clearly show how much leadership in healthcare – and beyond – is under pressure. And how significant the leverage is when we start to lead people not primarily through deficits, but through their abilities.

What applies to doctors and interdisciplinary teams also holds true in other industries: Modern leadership arises where people are seen – not out of kindness, but because this is what enables performance.

Why the focus on weaknesses rarely leads to top performance

Many leaders can immediately name their employees' weaknesses. The strengths, on the other hand, often remain unspoken – because they are taken for granted. Employee discussions quickly shift to corrections, expectations, and deviations from the ideal image.

Employees feel this. And they go into conversations that should actually enable development with a queasy feeling.

What is often underestimated is this: Those who continuously try to eliminate weaknesses remain in the midfield and rarely achieve top performance. Excellence arises where people can direct their energy toward what they are truly good at – and where leadership creates the space for exactly that.

Strengths-oriented leadership in daily clinical practice – and far beyond

Not only in daily clinical practice is it evident how crucial it is to consciously perceive and purposefully utilize different strengths. High time pressure, complex decisions, and close dependencies do not call for as many "uniform" employees as for complementary skills in the team.

An example:
A senior physician who remains calm even in critical situations, organizes complex issues, and creates security through clear communication. His strength lies less in administrative efficiency than in orientation and coordination. When he is purposefully involved in interdisciplinary case discussions and handovers, everyone benefits: less friction loss, more clarity, and noticeable relief in the team.

Or an assistant physician with high analytical depth, who needs more time during standard processes but excels diagnostically in complex cases. Instead of evaluating this working style as a deficit, her strength is utilized – for instance in case analyses or quality circles. Quality improves. And with it, the learning culture in the team.

This logic does not end at the clinic door.
It also applies to companies, administrations, project teams, and leadership bodies. Because people need exactly this – appreciation and focus on strengths. Thus, over time, heterogeneous teams with the most varied characters and abilities also emerge.

Modern leadership in the digital transformation: Focus on people – for good reason

The time we live in does not increase predictability but complexity. Responsible leadership, therefore, means less control and smarter use of potentials. Those who deploy employees according to their strengths can delegate responsibility, need to steer less, and create real effectiveness. However, as a leader, I must also focus on strengths and not weaknesses.

Nevertheless, strengths-oriented leadership does not mean ignoring weaknesses.
It means consciously shifting the focus: to what people can do – and to the conditions under which that can take effect.

The complete expert article “Strengths-oriented Leadership in Daily Clinical Practice” was published in the German Medical Journal; December issue 2025 and forms the basis of this contribution.