March 1, 2016

Applying Strengths Everywhere: Why The Strengths Course is Important

Carrie Jones Resources Interview, Strengths Course 0

I caught up with Brian Schubring, President and Founder of Leadership Vision, on the orange couches of CoCo in Downtown Minneapolis. Brian founded Leadership Vision over 16 years ago and is a passionate contributor to the Strengths movement. Believing that Strengths applies everywhere, Brian was returning from work with an education-based client in Singapore and preparing for an upcoming training with an organization in Minneapolis, MN.

Specifically, I wanted to hear from him directly about why we decided to put some of what we do with our clients online. It’s a unique format for delivery of this content.

Carrie Lee Jones: Thanks for taking the time to connect today. First, Where did this concept of an ‘online course’ come from?

Brian Todd Schubring: We get weekly requests from people who want to experience what we do. One of our responses to those requests is the creation of this online Strengths Course. I believe we are responding to the basic need of people who want to engage more deeply with Leadership Vision and with Strengths.

I recently heard about a company that creates user experiences through creating a fan pack for people who belong to certain musicians fan clubs. Before a concert, those fan club members receive a “goodie bag” of sorts full of the autographed material, and some of the musicians favorite items. It is basically a way to promote the concert before even going to the concert.

We have created the broadest base of the concert experience, but for Strengths. This Strengths course is the closest thing you’ll get to being with us in person. From Bali to Baltimore to Great Britain. Anyone can experience Leadership Vision through this course.

CLJ: You seem pretty emotional about this.

BTS: I feel so passionately about this online Strengths course. At the core of everything we do is “the person.” Everything we do, is about the person.

Of course, whenever we do work with an organization, the goal is to nail the engagement with that team. But if that individual person in the seat doesn’t have the experience… that “Aha moment,” then we failed.

For me, one of the most impactful parts of our process is the 1 to 1 conversation which is really about the experience of self discovery during that face to face conversation.

If a person goes through this online Strengths course, they will begin to have that same level of self discovery experienced in a 1 to 1 conversation.

I believe when people have an opportunity for self-reflection, it causes them to say “this is how special I am.” When an individual sees themselves with greater clarity, they see others with great clarity. When people are afforded that opportunity to think into who they are and what is special about themselves, we have a win.

What you see on the outward, is a reflection of what is on the inward. Connecting the inside [of someone] helps explain the outside. That is what we are doing at Leadership Vision. And specifically with this online Strengths course. We are asking users to self-reflect, talk to someone else about what is being learned and then hopefully the user will begin to understand themselves at a deeper level.

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CLJ: Don’t people experience that when they receive their Top 5 Strengths results?

BTS: Right now, the Gallup StrengthsFinder™ takes about 30 minutes, receiving and reading the results in an email takes an additional 5 minutes. And for many that is where the learning stops. Often, only hours after receiving the Top 5 results, that individual cannot even tell you their top 5 Strengths.

All we’re asking is for is some additional time. The depth of understanding gained out of this online Strengths course is far greater than anyone will ever receive just reading an email.

This is our most focused attempt to be in relationship with you without being there with you.

This course is a reflection of our core values – relational and intentional. This Strengths course is intentionally designed to be relational with you. Although this is a virtual experience, delivered online, we are still with you.

We want people to understand, “You are not alone.” I believe this to my core.

CLJ: Why should people care about the launch of this Online course?

BTS: Leadership Vision is the leading organization in applying a behavior based approach to Strengths. People want to know what we are doing to achieve this level of success.

And this is our first attempt at a complete online, distance delivery of our core process.

This also fulfills part of the company vision: anyone, anywhere, anytime. This is core to who we are. And this online Strengths course is an opportunity to meet this goal. This offers a low risk – high reward way to experience the Leadership Vision personality, process, product.

This online Strengths course delivers our behavior based approach to understand StrengthsFinder™. Users of the course will hear that in the videos and experience that through the various activities.

CLJ: So that sounds like you are speaking to a new user to Strengths or someone who doesn’t know anything about Leadership Vision. Does this launch make sense for our current clients?

BTS: Yes. Our current clients are asking for something like this. They want a way to distribute our philosophy and practice throughout their organizations. Our current clients want access to our products and delivery, and want to continue sustaining Strengths within their organization.

This online Strengths course is a vehicle of enterprise-wide integration of Strengths. This course is a platform that anyone can utilize to teach Strengths. This online Strengths course is a way for Leadership Vision to augment and complement what a Strengths professional is doing within an organization.

CLJ: Why should people buy the online Strengths course from Leadership Vision?

BTS: We are providing a comprehensive, stand alone, end to end application of Strengths. This product is semi-custom built for every user and is intentionally designed for the individual and the facilitator; anyone can use it.

The individual who is just learning about Strengths.

The Strengths coach or Strengths professional can integrate this as part of their practice.

The person doing internal training and delivery of Strengths.

This course will begin or extend the reach of Strengths.

CLJ: Is there anything similar on the competitive landscape?

BTS: No. There are other individuals within the Strengths movement who are offering videos and online training, but not the way the Leadership Vision Strengths course is put together. Again, this online Strengths course is intentionally built to be relational. We believe the depth of understanding gained out of this online Strengths course is far greater than anyone will ever receive anywhere else.