A New and Upgraded Edition  of the Online Test from Gallup’s “Now Discover Your Strengths”

By Tom Rath

DO YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT YOU DO BEST EVERY DAY? Chances are, you don’t. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.

“Most people think they know what they are good at. They are usually wrong… And yet, a person can perform only from their strength”

Peter Drucker

To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in the 2001 management book Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book spent more than five years on the bestseller lists and ignited a global conversation, while StrengthsFinder helped millions to discover their top five talents. And with your purchase you will be provided with a code that allows you to “Discover Your Strengths” by taking the assessment yourself.

In its latest national bestseller, StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more (see below for details). While you can read this book in one sitting, you’ll use it as a reference for decades. Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this new book and accompanying website will change the way you look at yourself — and the world around you — forever.

Follow This link to Order or Click the Image Above

We live in an exciting time in the executive development field.  In short,

• Recent research has shown compelling evidence that an evolved executive leader can make a huge difference in expanding profitability, performance, employee loyalty, etc.
• There is strong alignment amongst the many leadership models on the competencies an executive leader must embody to strengthen their impact.
• Based on this clarity as well as the ground breaking work of many – processes and methods have been created that are proven to add velocity onto the development process.

“The study was a real eye opener. Even after adopting the most conservative approach to determining the return on investment, we showed 700% in ROI for the coaching initiative (at Booz Allen Hamilton)”
Ed Cohen
Former Senior Director
Center for Performance Excellence
Booz Allen Hamilton

While executive coaching is only one piece to the puzzle – it is an approach that has proven we can build programs that work.  Given all of this plus the recognition that we find ourselves in challenging times that are crying for more leadership – you have to wonder why organizations and their senior leadership teams are not fully embracing the journey towards greater development of their leadership? (more…)

Whenever we face times of uncertainty and ambiguity life and business can seem more challenging. Yet. we also tend to let go of our resistance to learning and become more open to the advice and support of others.  One of the biggest challenges to innovation and success are when the ego fortifies itself from being in a learning mode.  This can manifest in a number of ways:

• The need to be right
• The need to tell rather than ask
• The false perception that we are masterful in all things and there is nothing left to learn.
• The confusion that because we are successful in one domain – that it guarantees success in other domains in business and life.

Yet, because of today’s environment I am finding executives and business owners far less entrenched in these “enemies of learning.”   This is because they realize it will take more than their own experience and knowledge to maximize their business success in today’s Topsy Tervy business world.  Many of us in the executive and CEO development business have not seen the drop in business experienced in past recessions.  In fact, many have seen an increase in their business because during these times – tried and true principles of success still work.  Yet, another emerging trend is the rise of executive and CEO peer groups. (more…)

Having the Right People on Board is Much Easier than Fixing the Wrong People You Have

How can you ensure you are getting “the right people on the bus” in your organization?  That might seem like an interesting question given our rising unemployment numbers that many say will peek above 10% in early 2010.   Yet, a key to such times is to ensure we are not only holding on to our best and brightest as well as to preparing to become more rigorous in the hiring process so that we are building a stronger organization once we begin hiring again.

A lot of ills were hidden during the last bull market including poor leadership.  During challenging times like we are facing today ineffective leadership becomes blatantly obvious. This is also true at all levels in your organization.  Ultimately, organizations are still far too sloppy in the hiring process and this sloppiness costs a lot through poor performance, missed opportunities for innovation and ultimately the cost of replacing a trained – although poor performing employee.  Great organizations maintain rigor when challenged to hire faster in good times as well as in how they thin the ranks during challenging times.

(more…)

By Jim Collins

Jim Collins does it again!  Picking up where Good to Great and Built to Last left off, bestselling author Jim Collins introduces a framework for diagnosing and correcting companies on the decline in his latest installment, How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In. A playbook for overcoming critical management challenges, Collins’ new release is a sure-to-be bestseller that provides a timely resource for business leaders and their companies.  This book will be released – Monday May 19, 2009. (more…)