HRE 2723 MIDTERM BOOK NOTES

Notes from book: Rathe and Conchi pgs 1-27

The keys to being a more effective leader:
The most effective leaders are always investing in strengths
When leaders focus on their employee’s strengths, the odds of each person being engaged goes up eightfold.
The most effective leaders surround themselves with the right people and then maximize their team
The most effective leaders understand their followers’ needs
The path to great leadership starts with a deep understanding of the strengths you bring to the table
PART ONE: INVESTING IN YOUR STRENGTHS
“I’ve never met an effective leaders who wasn’t aware of his talents and working to sharpen the,.”
Don Clifton, the late leadership researcher and Father of Strengths Psychology, greatest discovery from three decades of leadership research is, “a leader needs to know his strengths as a carpenter knows his tools, or as a physician knows the instruments at her disposal. What great leaders have in common is that each truly knows his or her strengths – and can call on the right strengths at the right time. This explains why there is no definitive list of characteristics that describes all leaders.”
“If you focus on people’s weaknesses, they lose confidence”, as one top executive summarized.
People who are aware of their strengths and build self-confidence at a young age may reap a “cumulative advantage” that continues to grow over a lifetime.
PART TWO: MAXIMIZING YOUR TEAM
Israeli President Shimon Peres expressed his views on this topic in an interview with Gallup, “what you have to think of is the potential of the person, not his appearance. And if you can discover hidden potential, that can make a great difference to your organization. You have to distinguish between loyalty and brilliance. Most leaders prefer loyalty over brilliance; they’re afraid that they’re going to be undercut. My view is different.”
The four domains of leadership strength
Executing: know how to make things happen
Influencing: help their team reach a much broader audience. Always selling the team’s ideas inside and outside the organization
Relationship building: holds the team together
Strategic thinking: keep everyone focused on what could be
Although individuals need not be well rounded, teams should be.

Notes from book: Rathe and Conchi pgs 67-76

Signs of strong, high performing teams
1) Conflict doesn’t destroy teams because strong teams focus on results
Successful teams are not the ones where team members always agree with each other
Successful teams have healthy debate or heated arguments
Failing teams personalize disagreements which creates divides that grow
2) Strong teams prioritize what’s best for the organization and then move forward
Best teams keep larger goal in view
3) Members of strong teams are as committed to their personal lives as they are to their work
Work extreme hours and endure amazing levels of responsibility
Successful teams have members who are highly engaged in their work and highly satisfied with their personal lives
4) Strong teams embrace diversity
33% of disengaged team members are more likely o plan on leaving their job if they have a manager of a different race
Engaged teams: a bit more likely to stay if manager is of a different race
5) Strong teams are magnets for talent

Notes from book: Rathe and Conchie pgs 101-235 (You have to know what each one of the strengths is and how it operates because when you lead you have to not only know your strengths but be able to identify strengths in others)

34 Strengths Finder Themes

1) ACHIEVER
Have a great deal of stamina and work hard
Take great satisfaction from being busy and productive
2) ACTIVATOR
Make things happy by turning thoughts into action
Often impatient
3) ADAPTIBILITY
“Go with the flow”
“Now” people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time
4) ANALYTICAL
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