StrengthsFinder 2.0

If you like to figure people out or even just want to figure yourself out this is an excellent place to start. 40 years of research went into the making of this useful book. If you are tired of trying to improve your weaknesses this book takes a different approach. It focuses on your top talents instead and explains how to use them in reality. Like I am highly analytical so I'd be good at editing. Basically this book encourages you to invest in what has the most potential to make you a great person in life and work. It takes a few hours to read this book from cover to cover but I found I could skip over some of the talents that just were not important to me. When reading about each talent you can quickly see if it applies to you or not. You really can just take what you need from this book and leave the rest. I found out that my top talents are: Analytical - find patterns and organize ideas Intellection - like to think and read Belief - gives life meaning Communication - love to write Discipline - like routine and organization Buy a new copy of this book if you are interested in taking the StrengthsFinder assessment as each book has a unique code that can only be used once. However I found the book also stands alone as an educational tool. I would have liked to have taken the test but on the other hand I did learn quite a lot just from reading the book. Thank you to the reviewer who recommended I read this book. ~The Rebecca Review

Great book - Great Evaluation Tool

The book is essentially an index of the 34 strengths that you can work to develop over the course of your life. Not only are the strengths well-described, but the book also provides action steps that you can take to develop them. In order to determine which of the 34 strengths are your top five strengths, you take an online test that requires a special access code that comes with every book. Being the personality test addict that I am, I paid my $13.47 plus shipping and handling for the book, tore open the envelope with my super-secret access code and went online to take the test. My top 5 strengths were as follows: * Intellection - Having a need for mental activity, whether it be solving a problem, developing ideas, or philosophical reflection. * Ideation - Being fascinated by ideas and new perspectives. Viewing phenomena from new and different angles. * Futuristic - The ability to have a clear, detailed vision of what the future might hold. * Connectedness - Understanding that we, all of us, are a part of something bigger. Being aware of the subtle forces and patterns which govern all things. * Learner - Having a love of learning. I wasn't particularly surprised by my results, other very good personality tests I had taken had basically informed me of my strengths (and weaknesses) in a similar way. What was different was how the StrengthsFinder book encouraged me to develop my strengths. The book stressed that although these were my natural talents, I had to work to develop them or they would deteriorate. Thinking back to my career as a recruiter, I realized how true that was. In the effort to eliminate my weaknesses, I had neglected many of my natural strengths, almost to the point of making them weaknesses. Because I was too busy making calls and answering emails, I gave myself little time to think things through, thus neglecting my abilities of intellection. Because I was so busy gobbling up other people's ideas about how things should be done, I had spent little time developing my own ideas, thus neglecting my abilities of ideation. Because I didn't allow myself see past my sales figures for the next fiscal quarter, I failed to think about the future-the long term consequences of my actions and inactions. I was so preoccupied by narrow concerns that I failed to tap into my ability to see the connections between things. Finally, because I let myself work 50 to 60 hour weeks and partied all night on the weekends to blow off steam, I spent very little time learning anything new. I realize now that I could have worked to develop my strengths even as a recruiter, but because the job was such a mismatch for me, it made me more aware of the weaknesses I had to improve upon than the strengths I could capitalize upon. Now, because I've decided to work for myself I find myself gravitating toward business opportunities that take advantage of my strengths rather than making me aware of my weaknesses. It's amazing what change in perspective can do.

I have taken quite a few similar assessments when I worked in a corporate world. I worked for an investment bank, and the obligatory week of training every year brought in an army of consultants who sliced and diced your personality like a mad chef on a 30-minute cooking show. I actually got this book for a book club reading at my last job, so it found me. I could honestly say that as I looked through the book prior to taking the assessment, I thought I had all of these strengths to some degree, and so I was curious to see what came up for me. Fundamentally, I agree with the approach that we should emphasize and play to our strengths - I think about it as not going against my nature. My top strengths came back as strategic, self-assurance, positivity, learner and activator, and I agree with all of these. The assessment is very accurate. Here's where it got even better: when I scanned through the ideas for action, I was initially too lazy to highlight the actions to take, and so I put it aside. Then, a few days ago, I was pondering a course of action to take in a difficult situation with competing priorities. I was drinking a cup of coffee in sort of a state of stupor over what I needed to do. Right in front of me, in a pile of papers on my desk, there was a page with Ideas for Action for my Strategic strength. The first item read, "Take the time to fully reflect or muse about a goal that you want to achieve until the related patterns and issues emerge for you. Remember that this musing time is essential to strategic thinking." It was right on the money. I kind of always knew it, but I'm a doer, and I feel guilty about giving my plans some time to hatch. I took notice of this, and thus my conclusion that this assessment is more useful than I originally thought, as long as I stay with it and slowly go through my Ideas for Action over a few months. Nothing struck me as inaccurate as far as the Ideas for Action are concerned, but I found it funny that my Strategic profile urged me to "partner with someone with strong Activator talents" and my Activator did the same for Strategic. (The Strategic strength is anticipation, and the Activator strength is a need for action). Since I have both, can I partner with myself? Or do I need two other people? Of course, this is harmless. If you like these sorts of tests, there a few good ones available for free as well. A friend and I have been compiling a list, which we will post on my site at [...]. Each of them puts a mirror to our face at a slightly different angle.

This book gives you a description of about 32 different strengths that people have, and at its core is an access code to an online Myers Briggs type assessment you can take to identify your strengths. The book is merely a reference for the strengths that an online assessment helps you identify, along with strengths that others may have and how you might identify these in people to work better in teams together. The strengths identification is worthwhile, but only if you buy the print version (otherwise you don't get a code and can't take the test!) I originally bought the hardcopy of the book a few years ago and took the test, and then my girlfriend and I were recently reading over my assessment. Wanting her to take the test too, I searched the Gallup website in order to purchase another code. Ridiculously, the only way that it seems that one can take the test is by purchasing another (hardcopy) book to get a new code. Not wanting to uselessly own two of the exact same hardcopy book on my shelf, and before I knew, I paid $14 for the Kindle version just to get a new code. I would be happy to pay $14 just for the StrengthsFinder assessment tool for my girlfriend. As said, it turns out that the Kindle version doesn't contain a new code. I'm basically asking Gallup to take my money in any which way that doesn't include buying and shipping me the same useless hardcopy book again. To be fair I'd recommend the hardcopy book and taking the test once, but not buying the Kindle version, or owning the hardcopy twice. It's been around for years and I've seen many people with complaints about not being able to purchase just a code. That's pretty lame.

I liked this book, don't get me wrong... but it's not much of a book. It's more of an online test. A couple of years ago, my friends kept hounding me to get this book. "OH, you're going to love it! You've got to get it! It's so amazing!" Perhaps I just suffered from over-hype. I once heard of a corporate consultant who told businesses to buy it, throw away the book and just use the code to take the online test. I thought that was a pretty brash statement. But now I know why. The "book" consists of a good intro/prologue that primes you for taking the test. It's well-written and makes some great points about how we respond to failure and focus on our strengths and weaknesses. About the moment I was cheering and felt we were gaining momentum, It abruptly stops and instructs you to go online and take the test before going any further. Taking the test was fine and took approximately 20 minutes. Afterward, you can read all about your top 5 strengths and even download PDF reports, which I liked. When I went back to the book, I realized that it's only the printed version of what your strengths are once you've taken the test. Only, it's the entire library of traits, and since I had already read mine, the rest of the book was suddenly less interesting. Aside from this deflated feeling about the book itself, I felt like the descriptions of my top 5 were insanely accurate in describing me. They articulated things about my personality that I had never been able to do before. So while the "book" part was kind of a letdown, I do feel the insight gained was well worth the price of admission. Would I recommend this book? Yes! Absolutely. But I'd be sure to warn them it's mostly an online test and less of a book. :)

I purchased StrengthsFinder for each member of my team and then brought in a facilitator to walk us through our results, our individual strengths, and how we can work better together. The book itself is excellent and insightful, but what really makes it impactful is the action and conversations it sparks. It created a shared language around strengths and helped our team better understand how to collaborate more effectively. Highly recommend — especially when paired with intentional discussion and follow-through.

I've been a senior leader of several organizations, and consequently have been exposed to a gauntlet of industrial psychologists, personality tests, intelligence tests, leadership training, cultural orientations, yada yada. This book/body of knowledge/tool does 2 things extremely well. By well, I mean in an optimal way measured by the degree of understanding relative to the time investment. First, for an investment of maybe an hour at minimum, and an additional few hours to explore the guidance and begin to consider the implications and choose new behaviors, etc. you get, in my opinion, the best single, and correct perspective about yourself than any combination of the other methods mentioned above, period. It is not just directionally correct, like a horoscope type paragraph that would be true for anyone who read it, but rather a set of desciptions of your strengths that just "nail it" and descibe you as you know yourself. It tells you about yourself in a way that you can understand, regardless of whether you or anyone who is around you has ever articulated it. The second thing it does well is offer a rational and empirically validated framework that is just long overdue. It is a simple truth that has been so elusive. It addresses a major reason why leadership is so rare in business - the modern organization strangles out your ability to contribute by trying to fix what you will likely never be much good at, or hate doing even if you end up with some level of proficiency at it. Get it, read it (25 minutes) and take the online test (35 minutes). If you are like me and the 50 people around me who've infectiosuly taken and immediately recommended this thing to their inner circle of friends and family, you will absolutley find value in it. But like anything, an idea or a tool is only as good as it is put to use. A master craftsman never blames his tools. Remember to act on it and that is something for which only you can be responsible.

Me describió totalmente. Te dan una pequeña contraseña para hacer el test, lo puedes hacer en español o en ingles. La reseña también la puedes tener en español o en ingles. Únicamente el libro esta en ingles. Es un libro muy bueno, me ha ayudado a enfocarme más en que quiero hacer y hacia donde quiero ir. Descubrí cosas que no sabía de mi. Se los recomiendo.

最初に出版された「さあ、才能に目覚めよう」を購入し、セカンドエディションが出ていることに気がつき購入しました。本書を購入することにより、Strengths Finder Version2のオンラインテストを受けることができます。テストを受けるまでの設定は英語ですがテストの質問事項は、日本語で受けられます。より良くなった点は、行動のアドバイスが得られたり、掲示板での意見交換が行えます。2冊購入し、妻との結果を比較したのですが、一致しているものは、一つもありませんでした。お互いを補いあえるということで、この方がよい結果であるといえるように思われます。信憑性のない占いをするよりは、統計データに基づく本書の利用をお勧めします。

The delivery is fast and no defects.

I bought the book especially to have the code for the test, I opened the book a few months after I bought it to use the code in the back which was sealed shut, but for some reason it did not work. It said it had already been used before, which was not possible in my case because I took scissors to cut the envelope open to see the code. For the rest the book looks completely new and good.

I made the plunge and purchased this book after seeing it was on sale. I chose to buy this book brand new, after seeing other reviewers mentioning the book is only useful with the online access code, which you wouldn't get with a used copy or e-book. This book is not your usual personality test; it is a prescriptive and very practical type of guide book that works off of your own individual assessment and from there, makes suggestions for you to follow that are based in grounded and well-researched findings. I personally appreciate the underlying philosophy StrengthsFinder 2.0 maintains - that in order to live meaningful lives and find success, we should hone in on our individual strengths and work to maximize them, rather than the more commonly turned to alternative of dwelling on our weaknesses and slaving away to fix them, since this will only net mediocre results at best, in the end. In summary, I highly recommend this awesome little book, and think this would be a great companion to go along with other hands-on self-improvement tools like Jordan Peterson's Self Authoring Suite, and in general would be of interest to anyone who is as fond of personality assessments as I am.