New Book Continues the Strengths Revolution

Americans are deeply enamored with the idea of overcoming obstacles to succeed. Movies are made and stories are told about heroes who persevere to achieve their improbable goals, while more ordinary folk struggle from cradle to cubicle, devoting more time to fixing their shortcomings than to developing their strengths.

But guess what -- that doesn't work.

In the 2001 New York Times bestseller Now, Discover Your Strengths, Gallup ignited a global conversation about the idea that success is built on identifying and developing the things you do best rather than shoring up weaknesses. That book introduced the first version of StrengthsFinder, an online assessment that helped readers identify their top five talents and learn how to use them to their advantage. To date, the assessment has been taken by millions of people, translated into more than 20 languages, and used by organizations in 100 different nations.

Now, StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath (Gallup Press; Hardcover; February 2007) includes access to the updated and upgraded assessment, making it more valuable to readers. Like the initial version, readers can take the assessment online (http://sf2.strengthsfinder.com/) using the unique access code provided with each copy of the book. However, this new version offers a more in-depth analysis of each person's strengths. The updated assessment offers a new perspective on how talents can emerge in different ways for each individual.

Same talents, different results

So how can two people with the same top five talent themes receive different results? This is the piece of the strengths puzzle that becomes even clearer with the new assessment. Personality affects how talent develops in each individual. The series of statements in the assessment are designed to elicit top-of-mind responses (by allowing just 20 seconds for each response). These responses reveal individual differences in how one person with a particular talent in his or her top five might exhibit it differently than another person with the same top five talents.

"These highly customized Strengths Insights will help you understand how each of your top five themes plays out in your life on a much more personal level," writes Rath, who penned the #1 New York Times bestseller How Full Is Your Bucket? as well as Vital Friends. "They describe what makes you stand out from the millions of people we have studied."

Using strengths brings satisfaction

Among the many findings from Gallup's 40 years of research into talents and strengths is that discovering your strengths is the best road to happiness. How you respond to a simple yet provocative statement like: "At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day" can tip the scales on whether you're engaged at work. People who use their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged on the job and three times more likely to be happier with their lives in general. Not only do engaged workers stay on the job longer -- saving millions in training and turnover costs -- but they also get more done while they are there. So when workers are able to apply their talents and strengths at work, productivity also rises.

A sounding cry for talent

While the numbers kill the myth that perseverance can overcome lack of talent, Gallup's research offers a sounding note of triumph. It supports the notion that any time spent developing natural, raw talent is most likely to lead to success. The formula, according to Gallup, is talent (a natural way of thinking, feeling, or behaving) multiplied by investment (time spent practicing, developing skills, and building a knowledge base) equals strength (the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance).

This new book, assessment, and Web siteare all about application -- the next step in the strengths revolution that started more than six years ago. StrengthsFinder 2.0 will change the way you look at yourself -- and the world around you -- forever.

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Learn more about the StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment at http://sf2.strengthsfinder.com/. Each book comes with a unique code to access the assessment.

• Read an excerpt in the Gallup Management Journal.

• Read a Q&A with author Tom Rath in the Gallup Management Journal.