Strengths Based Leadership (Brand New Copies Include Access Code)

Tom Rath and Barry Conchie's 'Strengths Based Leadership' is a transformative book that offers profound insights into leadership and team dynamics. This book builds on the strengths-based approach popularized by Gallup, focusing on identifying and leveraging individuals' strengths to drive leadership success. What sets this book apart is its emphasis on the unique qualities that make great leaders, rather than trying to fix weaknesses. Rath and Conchie provide compelling research and real-world examples to illustrate how leaders can maximize their own strengths and those of their team members to achieve exceptional results. I found the concept of 'StrengthsFinder' particularly enlightening; it helps readers discover their top strengths and understand how to apply them effectively in leadership roles. The book is well-organized, with practical advice and actionable strategies that leaders can implement immediately. Whether you're a new leader looking to understand your leadership style or a seasoned executive seeking to enhance team performance, 'Strengths Based Leadership' offers valuable insights and tools to inspire and empower. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in developing a strengths-based approach to leadership."This review highlights the book's strengths-based approach to leadership, practical insights backed by research, clarity in presentation, and its potential to transform leadership styles and team dynamics, making it essential reading for anyone in a leadership position or aspiring to lead effectively.

"While the best leaders are not well-rounded, the best teams are." That's the big idea in the latest book in the "StrengthsFinder" series, Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams and Why People Follow. This is a keeper--and expertly expands the value of focusing on strengths. Gratefully, it's not a rehash--it adds to the knowledge base.And wow! Gallup conducted 20,000 in-depth interviews with senior leaders, then another 10,000 interviews with followers. They have the data! Millions, from more than 50 countries, have taken the online StrengthsFinder assessment. The research-based insights and recommendations plow new ground. For example, "the most effective leaders are always investing in strengths." They write, "The odds of an employee being engaged are a dismal 1 in 11 (9%). But when an organization's leadership focuses on the strengths of its employees, the odds soar to almost 3 in 4 (73%).Leadership is nothing without followers and this new book describes the four basic needs of followers: trust, compassion, stability and hope. "The chances of employees being engaged at work when they do not trust the company's leaders are just 1 in 12."This is not dry, academic stuff. Four leaders--and their extremely diverse strengths--are profiled, using what they call the four domains of leadership strength: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building and Strategic Thinking. Example: Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America, leverages her Executing strengths (Achiever and Responsibility). Her budget, after just 20 years, is $120 million. She knows the Top-5 Strengths of her key people--and how to leverage those strengths.Other profiles include the CEO of The Ritz-Carlton (Influencing), the chairman of Standard Chartered Bank (Relationship Building), and the CEO of Best Buy (Strategic Thinking). The core idea for all four very different CEOs: it's all about leveraging the strengths of their team members. "While the best leaders are not well-rounded, the best teams are."The research also delivers five findings on what strong teams have in common, such as "Conflict doesn't destroy strong teams because strong teams focus on results." Like the two predecessor books from Gallup (StrengthsFinder 2.0 and Now, Discover Your Strengths), this one also includes a unique access code so you can take the StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment online. However, the new-and-improved upgrade delivers your strengths back to you (via email) with new insights on the four domains of leadership strength (Executing, etc.). The book also includes a three-page commentary on each strength and how to address your followers' four basic needs using your Top-5 strengths.I encourage each CEO I coach to know and leverage the Top-5 strengths of their direct reports and their board chairs. Understanding strengths is not an option, I insist. Instead, it's one of the 20 critical core competencies in the Team Bucket, one of the 20 buckets in my book, Mastering the Management Buckets. Mastering The Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Non-profit

Below are key excerpts from the book that I found particularly insightful:1- "Three key finding emerged from this research: 1) The most effective leaders are always investing in their strengths. 2) The most effective leaders surround themselves with the right people and then maximize their team. 3) The most effective leaders understand their followers' needs."2- "What great leaders have in common is that each truly knows his or her strengths - and can call on the right strength at the right time. This explains why there is no definitive list of characteristics that describes all leaders."3- "The Four Domains of Leadership Strength: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, Strategic Thinking. We have found that it serves a team to have a representation of strengths in each of these four domains...Although individuals need not be well-rounded, teams should be."4- "As you can hear int he stories of these four leaders, they have exceptional clarity about who they are - and who they are not. If any one of them had chosen to spend a lifetime trying to be "good enough" at everything, it's doubtful they would have made such an extraordinary impact. Instead, they've all been wise enough to get the right strengths on their teams, and this has set up their organizations for continuous growth. Unfortunately, very few teams are truly optimized around their strengths."5- "What strong teams have in common: 1) Conflict doesn't destroy strong teams because strong teams focus on results. 2) Strong teams prioritize what's best for the organization and then move forward. 3) Members of strong teams are as committed to their personal lives as they are to their work. 4) Strong teams embrace diversity. 5) Strong teams are magnets for talent."6- "For a team to create sustained growth, the leader must continue to invest in each person's strengths and in building better relationships among the group members."7- "...followers have a very clear picture of what they want and need from the most influential leaders in their lives: trust, compassion, stability, and hope."8- "Perhaps the ultimate test of a leader is not what you are able to do in the here and now - but instead what continues to grow long after you're gone."

Purchased this book for a class. Easy to read and understand!!