Strengths-Based Leadership »

Gallup Global Practice Leader Tom Rath is the author of the bestselling titles How Full Is Your Bucket? and StrengthsFinder 2.0. In total, Rath's books have sold more than one million copies and have made more than 100 appearances on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. Rath has been with Gallup for 14 years and currently leads the company's workplace research and leadership consulting worldwide. He and his wife, Ashley, live in Washington, D.C.

A renowned Leadership Consultant, Gallup's Barry Conchie is sought out by CEOs around the world to assist in aligning business and talent strategies that drive performance. Conchie was a public sector leader in the UK before joining Gallup in London. In 2002, he brought his extensive global experience to Gallup's Washington, D.C. headquarters, where he now leads Gallup's executive leadership consulting. Conchie lives in Maryland with his wife and two children.

For decades, Gallup scientists have researched the topic of leadership. They’ve surveyed a million work teams, conducted more than 50,000 in-depth interviews with leaders, and even interviewed 20,000 followers to ask what they admired in the most important leader in their life. The results of that research are unveiled in Strengths-Based Leadership. Using Gallup’s discoveries, authors Tom Rath and Barry Conchie identify three keys to being an effective leader and use firsthand accounts from highly successful leaders — including the founder of Teach for America and the president of The Ritz-Carlton — to show how each person’s unique talents can drive their success. A new version of Gallup’s popular StrengthsFinder assessment helps readers discover their own special gifts, and specific strategies show them how to lead with their top five talents. Loaded with novel research, inspiring stories, and actionable ideas, Strengths-Based Leadership offers a new roadmap for leading people toward a better future.

Introduction 1

Pt. 1 Investing in Your Strengths 5

Pt. 2 Maximizing Your Team 19

Pt. 3 Understanding Why People Follow 77

Conclusion: Leadership That Lasts Beyond a Lifetime 93

Additional Resources 97

Taking StrengthsFinder 99

Leading With Your Strengths: A Guide to the 34 Themes 101

The Research 237

A Your Strengths: The Research Behind StrengthsFinder 239

B Your Team: Gallup's Research on Work Team Engagement 247

C Why People Follow 251

References 259