Leading with an Asset-based Mindset instead of a Deficit-Based Mindset

Video profile of Andrés for Service Award by Leadershii Greater Chicago (4 mins). 

So this happened last week. Leadership Greater Chicago — of which I am a proud member of the Class of 2008 as well as of the Board, and now in the Daniel Burnham Fellows program — gave me this year’s LGC Distinguished Service Award. This recognized a decade of being the Dean of the annual “Race, Identity, and Inclusion” session for each Fellowship class that, as many participants have told me, was a catalyst to profound insights for themselves that opened up new ways of seeing their leadership impact in this world.

A recognition like this is always an opportunity to reflect on what is the message that meets the moment. In this four-minute video, the message is about #inclusiveleadership that can have a transformational impact on those we work with. This in part means that inclusive leaders don’t start addressing challenges with a deficit-grounded mindset of the situation and the people, but rather with an asset-grounded mindset.

It’s the life-affirming way to go.