Growing and developing by drawing on our strengths and talents

The tools that organizations generally use to develop leadership, such as 360o assessments and development plans, all follow the premise that each individual can learn everything and that the best way to grow is to focus on our weaknesses.

In their book Now, Discover your Strengths, authors Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton set the record straight. Using concrete examples from sports and business personalities, political leaders and executives, they help us to see the value and benefits of drawing on our natural talents. By regularly using our talents, developing and honing them, we can improve our performance, be more successful and satisfied, and become happier. But what about our weaknesses? We manage them!

Research conducted with over 2 million individuals, including the best physicians, teachers, salespeople, engineers, leaders and managers worldwide, has enabled them to arrive at these conclusions and identify 34 talent themes. The authors also provide a practical guide to transforming our processes of selection, performance management and career development management based on people’s talents and strengths.

Bonus feature: when you buy the book, you get access to the new and improved StrengthsFinder, updated by Gallup, to uncover your five predominant themes. If you would like to go further, and for a minimal cost, you can discover other themes that are important to you and obtain a more detailed report.

I regularly offer or recommend this book and assessment tool to my clients. After using the StrengthsFinder to discover their natural talents, and looking at how they can use these talents and make better use of them, they feel they’re rediscovering themselves and reconnecting with their true self. They gain a new perspective on the importance of recognizing, developing and using their own talents and those of their team members.

Website : https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/