An Invaluable Resource for Any Leader
As a Strengths coach who has studied Leadership for years, I am thrilled to see Gallup come out with a book specific to utilizing Strengths in leadership roles. I can say that this resource is invaluable for anyone who intends to lead others in any situation. The 34 Strengths have not changed, but what this book adds that others don't is a sense of leadership-specific actions that you can take to grow in your Strengths and become the best leader you can possibly be.
Strengths-based leadership is different from other leadership concepts because Gallup assumes that there is no expert who can tell you how to lead better than you can lead from your own strengths; they also assume that there is no expert better than those you lead to tell you what is the most important part of good leadership. Instead of trying each new fad leadership concept, this book encourages you to develop your Strengths and learn how you can best lead from yourself... the expert in you.
-Rebecca (Input, Connectedness, Communication, Ideation, Learner)
Excellent read
I greatly enjoyed this personal development book. As one in management, I found this a book that will add to my strengths as I deal with others. Highly recommend. I also enjoyed Walking Through Fire, An Iwo Jima Survivor's Remembrance
A good leadership book
A solid book. Of particular interest was the section that describes the Four Domains of Leadership Strength (executing, influencing, relationship building, strategic thinking). My fellow strengths fans should know that the book includes an access code to the StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment and customized Leadership Guide. You can use this code to take the StrengthsFinder 2.0. After you take it, you get the strengths report and your customized leadership guide. Or, if you took StrengthsFinder in the past, you can simply apply your previous StrengthsFinder results to get immediate access to your customized leadership guide. Overall, a good read and assessment for anyone interested in leadership and strengths.
Strengths Based Leadership offers little new over StrengthsFinder2.0
I eagerly awaited the publication of Strengths-based Leadership, as I had found Strengths Finder 2.0, so helpful. Unfortunately, Strengths-based Leadership offers little new over the earlier publication. In Strenghts Finder 2.0 and in this new publication, you are provided with your top 5 strengths. In the new publication, you are also shown in which of the 4 leadership group types, these strengths tend to fall: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building and Strategic.
The main limitation with Strengths-based Leadership (a serious limitation, in my opinion) is that the output on your top 5 strengths is generic and applies to anyone with the same strengths. This is not particularly helpful and offers less than the Strengths Finder 2.0. In Strengths Finder 2.0 your output provides you with an individualized assessment specific to you and reflective of your responses on the questionnaire. This individualized output provided in Strengths Finder 2.0 (but not in Strength's based Leadership) is extremely helpful in distinguishing characteristics of your unique strengths and in developing an action plan to build upon them.
If you really want to gain some insight into your own individual strengths, skip Strengths-based Leadership and stick with Strengths Finder 2.0.
(4 reviews)
