Guide to Tom Rath’s & et al Strengths Based Leadership

Overview

Strengths Based Leadership by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie introduces readers to the Gallup-designed survey that identifies a person’s unique leadership strengths. Many leaders try to improve their skills by emulating other leaders, but in reality the most capable leaders are the ones who use their existing talents to provide what teams need.

The best way to discover the ideal traits of good leaders is to ask followers what traits have characterized their most positive leaders. When asked, most mentioned the same factors as necessary for them to want to follow a leader. According to the survey, those factors are trust, compassion, stability, and hope.

Different types of leaders have different ways of filling those needs. The 34 themes that the StrengthsFinder online test identifies range alphabetically from Achiever to Woo and can be grouped into four categories. Executing themes include Focus and Responsibility and revolve around a leader’s ability to direct the team’s energies and make them achieve. Influencing themes include Competition and Significance and center on the ability to inspire others. Relationship Building themes, such as Adaptability and Harmony, are about the ability to make teams work together. For Strategic Thinking themes, such as Analytical and Intellection, leaders are naturally good at exploring and choosing