A landmark study of great leaders, teams and the reasons why we follow
Based on a thirty-year research project undertaken by Gallup, with assessments undertaken with millions of people, this book identifies three findings that the authors say are essential for effective leadership.
- The most effective leaders are always investing in strengths, their own as well as other people's.
- They surround themselves with the right people, then maximise the effectiveness of individual members of the team and their collaborative efforts.
- They understand what their followers need and make sure they get it.
Focus on strengths rather than weaknesses
The research for this book demonstrated that by identifying and building on strengths, people are able to build greater self-confidence. This in turn, the authors say, results in higher efficacy and dramatically boosts engagement levels throughout an organisation. So it is important to help people to discover and develop strengths as early as possible.
Maximising the effectiveness of a team<
Rath and Conchie discovered that teams were most successful when the four essential "leadership domains" are fully covered. These are: Relationship Building, Strategic Thinking, Influencing and Executing. Gallup's 'StrengthsFinder' assessment tool helps individuals to identify how their own core strengths fit into these domains and also helps leaders to recruit for the requisite strengths to optimise team effectiveness through having a well-distributed group.
The 4 basic needs of followers
Essential to effective leadership is leaders understanding what their followers need and ensure they provide it. Rath and Conchie suggest that there are four fundamental needs that people have of their leaders:
- Trust - keeping your word as a leader
- Compassion - keeping your team members' best interests in mind
- Stability - ensuring your people can rely on your consistency
- Hope - providing insipiration for the future
"What great leaders have in common is that each truly knows his or her strengths - and can call on the right strength at the right time."Dr Donald Clifton