The HBR Guides Collection (8 Books) (HBR Guide Series)

Mapping Out Your Development

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change. People who have many strengths should consider

how they are distributed across those categories and fo-

cus improvement efforts on an underrepresented one.

But we cannot think of a less constructive approach

to improving your leadership effectiveness than treat-

ing your strengths as weaknesses. Have you ever known

anyone who had too much integrity? Was too effective

a communicator? Was just too inspiring? Developing

competency companions works precisely because, rather

than simply doing more of the same, you are enhancing

how you already behave with new ways of working and

interacting that will make that behavior more effective.

Focusing on your strengths is hardly a new idea. Forty-

four years ago Peter Drucker ...