Hidden Strengths

“For workers who are interested in developing skills to further their career goals . . . an eye-opening look at how we use and develop our skills.” —IT Business EdgeBooks Like StrengthsFinder 2.0 have helped leaders discover their strengths—but they stop there. The Sindells argue that focusing only on your best abilities neglects a vital development opportunity. They show how to identify hidden strengths that can be quickly elevated into full strengths with attention and focus. Working mainly on your strengths can ultimately make you weaker, they argue—you need to continually add new skills, not rely on what you’re already good at. And while most people assume that means they should try to turn their weaknesses into usable skills, the Sindells say that it takes too much time and effort —the ROI just isn’t there. It’s in the neglected middle skills, neither strengths nor weaknesses, that the most potent development opportunities lie. They’re close enough to being strengths that putting your energy there can offer a powerful payoff. Using assessments, exercises, and case studies, the Sindells help you identify your most promising middle skills and create a plan to turn them into strengths. In today’s work environment, not growing and stretching yourself translates into lack of innovation, stagnation, and obsolescence. Relying upon strengths is like relying upon training wheels—at a certain point you need to take them off in order to improve and grow. “Tackl[es] the question of why it’s so tempting to focus on extremes—our strengths and weaknesses—while overlooking our capacity in the middle: our hidden strengths.” —Bill McLawhon, Head of Leadership Development, Facebook

Milo Sindell is a principal in Skyline Group International, Inc., a Silicon Valley–based human capital solutions consulting company that combines the scalability of technology with one-on-one coaching. Milo and Thuy have been featured by national media, including Fortune, CNN Money, Businessweek, Washington Post, Fox News, and NBC News, and are the coauthors of Sink or Swim, Job Spa, and The End of Work as You Know It. Thuy Sindell is a principal in Skyline Group International, Inc., a Silicon Valley–based human capital solutions consulting company that combines the scalability of technology with one-on-one coaching. Thuy and Milo have been featured by national media, including Fortune, CNN Money, Businessweek, Washington Post, Fox News, and NBC News, and are the coauthors of Sink or Swim, Job Spa, and The End of Work as You Know It.

Introduction PART 1 ABOUT HIDDEN STRENGTHS 1. What Are Hidden Strengths? 2. The Four Principles of Hidden Strengths PART 2 UNCOVERING THE GOLD MINE OF OPPORTUNITY 3. Identifying Your Natural Strengths, Hidden Strengths, and Weaknesses 4. Reviewing Your Results PART 3 HARNESSING YOUR POTENTIAL 5. Making Your Hidden Strengths Work for You 6. Leading Your Evolution Appendix A: The Twenty-Eight Skills and Why They Matter Appendix B: Hidden Strengths Development Worksheet Notes Accessing Your Free Hidden Strengths Profile Acknowledgments Index About the Authors