Table Of ContentFROM THE COAUTHOR OF THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER
FIRST, BREAK ALL THE RULES comes...
N O W ,
D I S C O V E R
YOUR STRENGTHS
The revolutionary program that shows you how
TAKE GALLUP'S
to develop your unique talents and strengths
STRENGTHSFINDER.CO
—and those of the people you manage. Based \J PROFILE AND LE/
on the Gallup study of over two million people
MARCUS BUCKINGHAM & ion
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DONALD 0. CLIFTON, Ph.D.
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jignificanceStrategic
U.S. $27.00
Can. $42.00
"Most Americans do not know what their
strengths are. When you askthem, they look
at you with a blank stare, orthey respond in
terms of subject knowledge, which is the
wrong answer." —Peter Drucker
Unfortunately, mostof ushave littlesense of our
talents and strengths, much less the ability to
buildour lives around them.Instead, guidedbyour
parents, by our teachers, by our managers, and by
psychology's fascination with pathology, we become
expertsin our weaknesses and spend our lives trying
to repairtheseflaws, whileour strengthsliedormant
and neglected.
Marcus Buckingham, coauthor of the national
bestseller First, Break All the Rules, and Donald O.
Clifton, Chairof the Gallup International Research &
Education Center, have created a revolutionary pro
gram to help readers identify their talents, build
themintostrengths, andenjoyconsistent, near-perfect
performance. AttheheartofthebookistheInternet-
basedStrengthsFinder*1Profile,theproductofa25-year,
multimillion-dollar effortto identifythe most preva
lent human strengths. The program introduces 34
dominant "themes"withthousandsofpossiblecombi
nations, and reveals how they can best be translated
into personal and career success. In developing this
program,Galluphasconductedpsychological profiles
with more than twomillionindividualsto help read
erslearnhowto focus and perfectthesethemes.
Sohowdoesitwork?Thisbookcontainsaunique
identification number that allows you access to the
StrengthsFinder Profile on the Internet. This Web-
basedinterviewanalyzes yourinstinctive reactions and
immediatelypresentsyouwithyourfive mostpowerful
signature themes. Once you know which of the 34
themes—such as Achiever, Activator, Empathy,
Futuristic, or Strategic—you lead with,thebookwill
(continuedonbackflap)
"Whenoneknows whathisorherstrengthsare,andtheseideas arepartofthecom
pany culture, you willhave a successfulorganization.Congratulations to the au
thors! Now,DiscoverYourStrengthslooks like abestseller."
—BillThompson, Dean andExecutiveDirector, MonsantoUniversity
"This is powerful! Who will not want to discover their own strengths and then
managetheir work and relationshipsbased onthose insights? Education,business,
government, andthe churchhave much tolearnfrom this book."
—RobertC.Andringa,Ph.D., President,CouncilforChristianColleges&
Universities
"Thisinspiringbookserves asfarmore thanaguide tomanagementorprofessional
success. It sets forth an approach—documented by hundreds of thousands ofcase
studies and careful analysis—toward matters of personal responsibility, profes
sional development,and personalhappinessthat isboth simpleand profound."
—David Eisenhower,AssociateProfessorofCommunications,Universityof
Pennsylvania, FellowoftheAmericanSocietyofHistorians.
"Strength-building employees are much more likely to strongly agree that they
have the opportunitytodotheir best every day.Buttressedby evidencethat isclear
and concise,the bookis interesting,understandable,and persuasive."
—Bernard M. Bass,Ph.D.,DistinguishedProfessorofManagement, Center
for LeadershipStudies, StateUniversityofNewYork
"Measurement guru, corporate visionary, and social reformer-with-a-heart Don
Clifton guides us from understanding to finding to managing strengths—for our
selvesandthosewe manage."
—GrahamB. Spanier, President,The PennsylvaniaStateUniversity
"In a society where we are obsessed with what's wrong with our figures, relation
ships, and careers, the authors challenge us to learn what's right with each ofus.
Theirideas for leadershipdevelopmentare doableand inspirational."
—BruceJ. Avolio,Co-Director,Center for LeadershipStudies, SUNY
Binghamton
"Managersoftenmustidentifythe diverse strengthsneededto create a teamwitha
competitiveadvantage.Thisbookprovidestoolsto do itbetter."
—PhilipStone, ProfessorofPsychology, HarvardUniversity
"Atatimewhenorganizationsaroundthe worlddesperatelyneedto motivate,ener
gize,andinspirepeople,Cliftonand Buckinghamare openingdoorsfor us to apply
anew philosophyoflife and work. Apositivephilosophythat focuses on strengths
ratherthan weaknesses!Aremarkablebookwitha depth and breadth of research
thatprovideaperfectblendofwisdom, compassion, andvisionfor strengthening
organizations.Theirbookisstimulatingandthought-provoking!"
—Larraine Matusak, Senior Scholar, James MacGregor Burns Academy of
Leadership,UniversityofMaryland
"A 'must-read' foranyonecommittedtobeinganeffectivesupervisorandanyone
committed to his or her own growth and development. The combination of the
method to measure strengths with practical guidance on how to manage people
from a talent-development standpointprovides a healthy way to help people de
velop to their maximum potential and become increasingly effective. Frankly, I
can'tthink ofanyone who wouldnotprofitfromreading this book."
—Edward"Chip"Anderson,ProfessorofEducationalLeadership,Azusa
University; DirectorofCommunityEducation Leadership,UniversityofCali
fornia, LosAngeles
"Now,DiscoverYourStrengthsprovidesaroadmaptobuilding atrulygreatandad
mired team, organization, orcompany.Attracting talented employees by identified
strengths and providing amethod for managing and multiplying those strengths to
build the businesscould be the single most importantnew breakthroughinmanag
ing employeesinthe new millennium."
—GarrettR.Mullins,Vice President,CustomerServiceOperations,COVAD
Communications,Inc.
Now,
Discover
l(bur
Strengths
MARCUS BUCKINGHAM
DONALD O. CLIFTON
/p
THE FREE PRESS
NewYork London Toronto
Sydney Singapore
yp
THEFREEPRESS
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Copyright©2001byTheGallupOrganization
Allrightsreserved,includingtherightofreproduction
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libraryofcongresscataloging-in-publicationdata
Buckingham,Marcus.
Now,discoveryourstrengths/MarcusBuckingham,DonaldO.Clifton,
p. cm.
BasedonaGallupstudyofnearly2millionpeople.
1. Employeemotivation. 2. Management. I. Title:Discoveryourstrengths,
n. Clifton,DonaldO. HI. Title.
HF5549.5.M63B832001
650.14—dc21 00-053572
ISBN0-7432-0114-0
tomywife, Jane, strong enoughforthree ...
—MARCUS
tothose whohelpedmediscovermystrengths-
my wife,Shirley,andourfamily
—DON
Contents
Introduction: The Strengths RevolutionatWork
TheRevolution
"Whatarethetwoassumptionsonwhichgreatorganizations
mustbebuilt?" 5
TwoMillionInterviews
"WhomdidGallupinterviewtolearnabouthumanstrengths?" 11
I. The Anatomy ofa Strength
Chapter 1.Strong Lives
TheInvestor,theDirector,theSkinDoctor,andtheEditor
"Whatdoesastronglifelooklike?" 19
TigerWoods, Bill Gates,and Cole Porter
"Whatisastrength?" 25
ThreeRevolutionaryTools
"Whatdoyouneedtobuildyourlifearoundyourstrengths?" 28
CONTENTS
Chapter2.Strength Building
IsHeAlwaysThis Good?
"WhatcanwelearnaboutstrengthsfromColinPowell?" 39
Knowledgeand Skills
"Whichaspectsofyoucanyouchange?" 41
Talent
"Whichaspectsofyouareenduring?" 48
II. Discoverthe Source ofYour Strengths
Chapter3.StrengthsFinder
TheTracesofTalent
"Howcanyouidentifyyourowntalents?" 67
The StrengthsFinderProfile
"Howdoesitwork,andhowdoIcompleteit?" 76
Chapter4.TheThirty-fourThemes ofStrengthsFinder
Achiever 83 Discipline 96
Activator 84 Empathy 97
Adaptability 85 Fairness 98
Analytical 86 Focus 99
Arranger 87 Futuristic 100
Belief 88 Harmony 101
Command 89 Ideation 102
Communication 90 Inclusiveness 103
Competition 91 Individualization 104
Connectedness 92 Input 105
Context 93 Intellection 106
Deliberative 94 Learner 107
Developer 95 Maximizer 108
CONTENTS
Positivity 109 Self-assurance 113
Relator 110 Significance 114
Responsibility 111 Strategic 115
Restorative 112 Woo 116
III. Put Strengths to Work
Chapter5.The QuestionsYou'reAsking
Arethereanyobstaclestobuildingmystrengths? 121
WhyshouldIfocusonmysignaturethemes? 131
Isthereanysignificancetotheorderofmysignature
themes? 134
Notallofthephrasesinthethemedescriptionapplytome.
Why? 136
WhyamIdifferentfromotherpeoplewithwhomIshare
someofthesamethemes? 137
Areanyofthethemes"opposites"? 139
CanIdevelopnewthemesifIdon't liketheonesI
have? 141
Will Ibecometoo narrowifIfocus on my signature
themes? 144
HowcanImanagearoundmyweaknesses? 148
CanmythemesrevealwhetherIamintheright
career? 160
Chapter6.Managing Strengths
"Fidel,"SamMendes,andPhilJackson
"Whatisthesecretoftheirsuccess?" Ill
OneBy One
"Howcanyoumanageeachofthethirty-fourthemesofStrengths
Finder?" 176
