Section One: Summary
Rath and Conchie (2009) focus on strength-based leadership and what it entails. The book argues that people spend too much of their time trying to be perfect at everything, which hinders them from being great at anything. Societal attempts at nurturing well-rounded individuals accidentally breed mediocrity. According to the authors, a well-rounded leader is perhaps the greatest fallacy of all. The authors further contend that every organization embarks on a quest of finding leaders who are effective conversationalists, visionary thinkers, as well as people who can influence others to comply. Despite the fact that these are the most desirable leadership attributes for organizational success, none of the leaders that have been studied have displayed world-class strengths in all the stipulated areas.
While most people may think that leaders who strive to attain all of the described qualities are best, they are actually the least effective leaders. Rath and Conchie (2009) stress on the need for individuals to find their leadership strengths. People are unable to lead victoriously since they lack an awareness of their strengths. Apparently, the main problem facing contemporary leaders is that they endeavor to be just like the leaders they admire, without realizing that each person is different in their own right since each has distinctive qualities and leadership styles ( Lee, 2014) . People who try to lead through imitation rid themselves of any chances of succeeding.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The book provides insight into one of the most prolific leaders in human history such as Mahatma Gandhi and Winston Churchill who had more differences than similarities. Rath and Conchie (2009) argue that it is these differences that defined them as leaders and made them triumphant in their deeds. By being gallant and authoritative, Churchill was able to mobilize a war-ravaged state. The likelihood of victory would have been very low had Churchill employed Gandhi’s calm and quiet leadership approach.
Leaders should be aware of their core strengths, and the most effective ways of using them, just as other professionals such as carpenters and physicians are with their tools Having knowledge on one’s strengths is what defines an exceptional leader. According to Welch, ae al. (2014) leaders should also have an understanding of when to use each of the identified strengths at the right time. Leaders are encouraged to use the StrengthsFinder, a web-based program, which aids in the identification of core strengths, as well as the various ways in which one can lead, based on the identified unique strengths.
Rath and Conchie (2009) also stress the need for leaders to choose their team members wisely, as opposed selecting individuals who act, think, and behave the same way as they do. Leadership teams should be the outcome of design, as opposed circumstance. The StrengthsFinder program is deemed essential since it identifies how various individuals in a group can maximize their contributions in the attainment of the team’s collective goals. Rath and Conchie (2009) redefine effective leaders, as individuals who have comprehensive knowledge of their strengths, as opposed to those who imitate leaders that they have lived to revere. The book provides leaders with an excellent tool for determining their strengths, a critical driver of exceptional leadership.
Section Two: Personal Experience
The book had triggered a memory on certain events that happened a few years back when I held a leadership position in the Scouts club. Since I was a small child, I always admired being a leader since my father held a manager’s position in a large corporation, and I admired the way he would scold and command people around. When I was given a chance to lead the scout's team, I finally got the chance to practice what I had seen my father do. Little did I know that no leader has ever led successfully as a result of emulating other people’s leadership style. This is due to the fact that individuals have different strengths and leadership styles which are most effective when used at the right time.
I was very bold and authoritative, something that I have learned works best when mobilizing a war-ravaged nation. In addition, I was insolent and transformed into a “control-freak” in just a few days of my leadership. In particular, I failed to take heed of my team members suggestions and did what I thought was best. For instance, at one time, a friend advised me to be polite and patient with the team members, and I told him to employ his own strategies when he finally got the opportunity to lead.
By the end of two weeks, approximately twenty members had dropped out of the group, and I had lost a considerable number of friends. Moreover, the team members had become so bitter towards me, and most of them failed to comply with my wishes. It was then that I realized that I was employing the wrong leadership approach. The book has made me aware of all the things that I did wrong. I tried to imitate another person’s leadership and failed to identify my individual strengths and use them to lead. If given the same chance in the future, I will use the strengths finder program to determine my strengths and how exactly I can use them to lead exceptionally.
Section 3: Assessment
Despite the quality arguments that are inherent in the book, it has a number of flaws which should be rectified to make it more appealing. One of the main issues of concern is that the Rath and Conchie (2009) claim that all the extensive efforts that they had been directed at finding a leader with world-class strengths were futile since none was found. The main question that comes to the reader’s mind is, “what about all the prolific leaders that have existed in human history? Has none displayed any of the required strengths?” Indeed, the book fails to give credit to the great leaders that have existed since the dawn of time, claiming that none of them was equipped in world-class strengths in all the areas of leadership.
Despite the fact that the authors mention a few of the best leaders the world has ever had such as Churchill and Gandhi, the fact that they claim that none of the examined leaders display any world-class strengths in all leadership fields, discredits such exemplary leaders. Furthermore, the book only mentions a few attributes that qualify great strengths such as visionary leadership and practical communication skills. More examples of the qualities that are expected of prolific leaders are critical to foster an understanding of what excellent leadership entails.
Notably, the authors also condemn individuals who lead through emulation. Contrary to what they suggest, this leadership style has not always resulted in failure. Furthermore, it is challenging for individuals to identify their core strengths without having first-hand experiences of their weaknesses. The book could have been more appealing if it stressed the importance of experience in the determination of core strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, it could have also become appealing if more examples of leaders and the leadership styles that they used at different times were given to demonstrate how diverse leadership styles differ in terms of their effectiveness in different scenarios.
Section Four: Application
Based on the knowledge that I have acquired from the book; I intend on making three significant changes in my leadership. First, I will use the strengths Finder program to determine my primary strengths as a leader. Effective leaders do not imitate others that have preceded them since not all that works for a single person works for the other. By studying my strengths and understanding how best I should make use of them, I would effectively transform into an effective leader.
Secondly, I will be more rational when selecting members of my team. Previously, I used to choose team members who have the same traits as myself. Apparently, like poles repel and there is a need for more diversity in terms of team member qualities to be applied, for the best project outcomes. The web-based StrengthsFinder will be used in this case to gauge the strengths of the members of the team so that they can determine how precisely the strengths can be used to maximize team member contribution, a vital step towards goal attainment.
Thirdly, I will engage the members of my group or organization more in decision making and take into consideration all of their ideas during this process. Rath and Conchie’s book has made me realize that the creation of a friendly working atmosphere is critical for the accomplishment of the set objectives. Additionally, I have also recognized that team members are essential assets of any organization or project and should, therefore, be treated with a lot of respect and individual consideration ( Kaliannan & Adjovu, 2015 ). I will exercise a high level of sensitivity to the needs of my team and strive to ensure that they are met. By doing this, I will be one step closer to becoming a world-class leader.
Strengths-based leadership fosters project success. Leaders who employ this leadership style have comprehensive knowledge of their strongest leadership qualities. Leaders should not imitate those who have come before them, but rather, embark on a quest to redefine effective leadership, by applying their remarkable strengths in their leadership. Emphasis is put on the use of the StrengthsFinder program, to enable individuals to determine their most prolific leadership qualities.
References
Kaliannan, M., & Adjovu, S. N. (2015). Effective employee engagement and organizational success: a case study. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences , 172 , 161-168.
Lee, S. K. (2014). Embedding Strengths-Based Leadership into Leadership Development Programs. In Strategies for Teaching Leadership . CreateSpace.
Rath, T. and Conchie, B. (2009). Strengths-Based Leadership. ISBN: 978-1595620255.
Welch, D., Grossaint, K., Reid, K., & Walker, C. (2014). Strengths-based leadership development: Insights from expert coaches. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research , 66 (1), 20.
