Flipping the Script: Seeing Strengths in a System Built on Deficits

May 2025 - For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to those the world often overlooks.

From classrooms filled with students labeled as "difficult" to residential homes supporting adults with high behavioral needs, I’ve been fortunate to work alongside people who challenge convention, not because they’re trying to, but because the systems we’ve built weren’t made with them in mind. And yet, within each person, I’ve witnessed something remarkable: possibility.

Not the kind of possibility that comes from meeting someone else’s expectations or fitting neatly into a checklist. I’m talking about the kind of possibility that reveals itself when we choose to see people for who they are, not who the system assumes they should be.

Working with neurodiverse students and adults has transformed the way I lead. It’s taught me to look past labels, past diagnoses, and past standardized metrics. Instead, I’ve learned to see the spark, the joy in someone’s eyes when they’re understood, the pride when they’re given a role that makes sense to them, the creativity that bursts forth when they feel safe enough to be themselves.

But that shift in perspective doesn’t come without tension. As a leader, I’ve had to navigate systems that, quite frankly, reward deficits. Financial structures in education, disability services, and human support often measure need, not growth. The more "challenges" we can document, the more funding is available. While I understand the intention behind this model, it often boxes people into a narrative of limitation.

And yet I believe deeply that our job isn’t to reinforce those boxes. It’s to dismantle them.

That belief has guided my work in schools and in disability services. I’ve led teams through redesigns that prioritize transition readiness and person-centered care. I’ve built leadership pipelines that emphasize emotional intelligence and equity. I’ve helped organizations scale not by managing problems, but by cultivating potential.

At the heart of this work is the idea that learning and growth must be personalized. Real progress doesn't come from cookie-cutter interventions. It comes from understanding how each individual thinks, learns, and experiences the world. My leadership is grounded in the work of Reuven Feuerstein, who taught us that intelligence is not fixed. Through mediated learning experiences, we can increase a person’s capacity to think critically, solve problems, and adapt. The key is intentional intervention, personalized support that strengthens thinking skills, not just compliance.

We don’t lower expectations. We raise support.

Whether I’m working with a student developing independent life skills or an adult relearning how to self-regulate after trauma, I’ve seen that when we tailor our approach to the individual and mediate their learning with purpose and care, transformation follows. In my view, results are expected. Not in spite of their neurodiversity or history, but because we create an environment that honors who they are and what they’re capable of becoming.

It’s not always easy. Systems don’t change overnight. But what I’ve learned is that culture can. When we shift our internal culture, when we start to speak in the language of strength, when we build trust, when we celebrate each person’s individuality, something powerful happens. We stop trying to “fix” people and start building environments where they can thrive.

To me, that’s what meaningful leadership is all about. It's not just about growth metrics or polished strategic plans (though those matter too). It’s about the quieter moments, like the time someone with selective mutism raises their hand for the first time or a client who’s been written off as too “behavioral” finds a job they love. Those are the milestones that remind me why I do this work.

In every setting I’ve led, from public schools to group homes, I’ve seen what’s possible when we meet people with curiosity instead of control. When we assume capability instead of incapacity. When we build systems around who people are, not who we expect them to be.

That shift has shaped me as a leader. But more importantly, it’s shaped me as a human being.

And I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

Leadership Reflection:

1. When have I seen unexpected potential in someone, and how did I respond?

2. How do the systems I work within support or limit people’s growth?

3. Am I personalizing support based on who someone truly is, or who I expect them to be?

4. What’s one step I can take to shift from a deficit-based lens to a strength-based one in my own work?

   
   
   
   

All content on this blog belongs to the author, Bert Strassburg. If you'd like to share, modify, or distribute anything, please reach out for written permission. Feel free to contact me with any questions at:  bert.strassburg@gmail.com.