One Sentence Summary
Strengths Based Leadership by Tom Rath is a motivating guide that encourages readers to find and develop their most dominant strengths and to use them in developing their leadership skills.
Book Genre
Strengths Based Leadership is a Self-Help and Motivational Guide.
Main Topic of the Book
Strengths Based Leadership discuss the importance of identifying and developing one’s strengths in order to become a successful leader.
Key Ideas
- Understanding of and focus on one’s own strengths
- Optimizing a team’s strengths (creating the right team composition)
- Servant leadership model
- Positive relationships between the leader and the followers
- Effective communication between the leader and followers
Main Parts of the Book and a Short Summary
- Part One: Understanding Your Strengths​ – This part of the book explains why understanding one’s own strengths can be a powerful tool for effective leadership. It also provides methods and techniques for understanding and building on personal strengths.
- Part Two: Strengths Based Teams – This part of the book provides the reader with strategies for understanding the strengths of their team and how those strengths can be harnessed to create productive and successful teams.
- Part Three: Why People Follow – This part of the book provides guidance on managing relationships with followers and examines the reasons why people follow leaders. It also explores how to achieve effective communication with followers.
- Part Four: Achieving Leadership Success – This part of the book focuses on developing the skills and mindset necessary for successful leadership, providing techniques on integrating strengths-based leadership into everyday life.
Key Takeaways
- Understand one’s own strengths and how they can be best used for successful leadership.
- Create the right team composition by leveraging team members’ strengths.
- Develop effective leadership through servant leadership approach.
- Build positive relationships with followers.
- Establish successful communication with followers.
Author’s Background and Qualifications
Tom Rath is an American author and researcher. He has written seven international bestselling books and has a degree in psychology and business from the University of Michigan. He is a fellow of Gallup and a principal scientist for the Gallup organization.
Target Audience
The target audience for Strengths Based Leadership is aspiring and experienced leaders looking to sharpen their leadership skills and create successful teams.
Publisher and First Publication Date
Strengths Based Leadership was published in 2008 by Gallup Press.