Page 160 - The extraordinary leader

Great Leaders Possess Multiple Strengths • 137

Person A

No areas of
weakness but no
areas of strength

Person B

One area of strength,
possibly some
weaknesses

Figure 6-2 Person A versus Person B

Rethinking the Personal Development Plan

Look back at Figure 6-1. Let’s reconsider the best development plan for this
individual. Rather than drilling into the less positive scores and attempting to
elevate them to a higher level, we strongly contend that this person would be
far better off selecting one to three of the higher scores and striving to push
them to the highest quartile. Doing that will propel this person’s career for-
ward far more sure-footedly and rapidly than trying to fix the lower scores.

What Is a Strength?

A strength is something we do well. The question is how well. Many man-
agers seem satisfied when the results of a 360-degree assessment show slightly
above-average scores on all competencies. But that same person would be
highly disappointed if their child came home from school with all C ’s on
his report card.
A strength is also something that is used in a wide variety of situations and
possesses an enduring effect. It lasts over time. We associate good outcomes
with strengths. There is something inherently valuable about those qualities