Tom Rath Quotes

Although individuals need not be well-rounded, teams should be.

followers have a very clear picture of what they want and need from the most influential leaders in their lives: trust, compassion, stability, and hope

If you spend your life trying to be good at everything, you will never be great at anything.

What great leaders have in common is that each truly knows his or her strengths - and can call on the right strength at the right time.

Perhaps the ultimate test of a leader is not what you are able to do in the here and now - but instead what continues to grow long after you're gone

What's more, we had discovered that people have several times more potential for growth, when they invest energy in developing their strenghts instead of correcting their deficiencies.

The most successful people start with dominant talent—and then add skills, knowledge, and practice to the mix. When they do this, the raw talent actually serves as a multiplier.

Every human being has talents that are just waiting to be uncovered.

Instead of celebrating what makes each child unique, most parents push their children to "fit in" so that they don't "stick out." This unwittingly stomps out individuality and encourages conformity, despite these parents' good intentions

If we can find short-term incentives that are consistent with our long-term objectives, it is much easier to make the right decisions in the moment.

You cannot be anything you want to be - but you can be a whole lot more of who you already are.

When we build on our strengths and daily successes — instead of focusing on failures — we simply learn more.

The lesson here is clear: If you want people to understand that you value their contributions and that they are important, the recognition and praise you provide must have meaning that is specific to each individual.

the key to human development is building on who you already are