Strengths Based Leadership

Strengths Based Leadership – Tom Rath

What makes a great leader? Many people believe leaders must be well rounded and excel at everything. In Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow, Tom Rath and Barry Conchie, drawing on decades of Gallup research, argue that the most effective leaders do something different: they know their strengths, invest in them and build teams that complement them.

The book is based on Gallup studies of leaders, teams and followers. The research led to three key findings. First, effective leaders are always investing in strengths, both their own and those of their teams. Second, they surround themselves with the right people and build teams that cover four domains of leadership strength: executing, influencing, relationship building and strategic thinking. Third, they understand the needs of their followers, who look to leaders for trust, compassion, stability and hope.

Rath and Conchie explain each of these findings in detail, with examples from well-known leaders and organizations. The book also explains how each of the thirty-four strengths themes measured by Gallup’s assessment can be used to lead more effectively, offering practical ideas for leading with each theme.

New copies of the book include a unique access code for the online strengths assessment. In pre-owned copies, this code has most likely already been used and may no longer be valid, so readers may need to purchase access separately.

Practical and research-based, Strengths Based Leadership is a valuable resource for leaders, managers, team builders and anyone who wants to lead by building on what they do best.