Hidden Strengths: Unleashing the Crucial Leadership Skills You Already Have
May 2015 · Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Ebook
97
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
About this ebook
“For workers who are interested in developing skills to further their career goals . . . an eye-opening look at how we use and develop our skills.” —IT Business Edge
Books like StrengthsFinder 2.0 have helped leaders discover their strengths—but they stop there. The Sindells argue that focusing only on your best abilities neglects a vital development opportunity. They show how to identify hidden strengths that can be quickly elevated into full strengths with attention and focus.
Working mainly on your strengths can ultimately make you weaker, they argue—you need to continually add new skills, not rely on what you’re already good at. And while most people assume that means they should try to turn their weaknesses into usable skills, the Sindells say that it takes too much time and effort —the ROI just isn’t there. It’s in the neglected middle skills, neither strengths nor weaknesses, that the most potent development opportunities lie. They’re close enough to being strengths that putting your energy there can offer a powerful payoff.
Using assessments, exercises, and case studies, the Sindells help you identify your most promising middle skills and create a plan to turn them into strengths. In today’s work environment, not growing and stretching yourself translates into lack of innovation, stagnation, and obsolescence. Relying upon strengths is like relying upon training wheels—at a certain point you need to take them off in order to improve and grow.
“Tackl[es] the question of why it’s so tempting to focus on extremes—our strengths and weaknesses—while overlooking our capacity in the middle: our hidden strengths.” —Bill McLawhon, Head of Leadership Development, Facebook
Books like StrengthsFinder 2.0 have helped leaders discover their strengths—but they stop there. The Sindells argue that focusing only on your best abilities neglects a vital development opportunity. They show how to identify hidden strengths that can be quickly elevated into full strengths with attention and focus.
Working mainly on your strengths can ultimately make you weaker, they argue—you need to continually add new skills, not rely on what you’re already good at. And while most people assume that means they should try to turn their weaknesses into usable skills, the Sindells say that it takes too much time and effort —the ROI just isn’t there. It’s in the neglected middle skills, neither strengths nor weaknesses, that the most potent development opportunities lie. They’re close enough to being strengths that putting your energy there can offer a powerful payoff.
Using assessments, exercises, and case studies, the Sindells help you identify your most promising middle skills and create a plan to turn them into strengths. In today’s work environment, not growing and stretching yourself translates into lack of innovation, stagnation, and obsolescence. Relying upon strengths is like relying upon training wheels—at a certain point you need to take them off in order to improve and grow.
“Tackl[es] the question of why it’s so tempting to focus on extremes—our strengths and weaknesses—while overlooking our capacity in the middle: our hidden strengths.” —Bill McLawhon, Head of Leadership Development, Facebook
About the author
Milo Sindell is a principal in Skyline Group International, Inc., a Silicon Valley–based human capital solutions consulting company that combines the scalability of technology with one-on-one coaching. Milo and Thuy have been featured by national media, including Fortune, CNN Money, Businessweek, Washington Post, Fox News, and NBC News, and are the coauthors of Sink or Swim, Job Spa, and The End of Work as You Know It.
Thuy Sindell is a principal in Skyline Group International, Inc., a Silicon Valley–based human capital solutions consulting company that combines the scalability of technology with one-on-one coaching. Thuy and Milo have been featured by national media, including Fortune, CNN Money, Businessweek, Washington Post, Fox News, and NBC News, and are the coauthors of Sink or Swim, Job Spa, and The End of Work as You Know It.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
