[rating:3]
(Tulsa: Hogan Press., 2009)
170 pgs.
This book edited by Robert B. Kaiser, contains ten chapters contributed by fifteen authors. It is a scholarly work that tackles the popular theory of strengths based leadership espoused by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton in their book, Now, Discover Your Strengths, published in 2001. Buckingham, senior vice-president of the Gallup Organization, along with Clifton, cite studies of over 1.7 employees internationally who were asked if they spent their time at their job working in areas where they were most skilled. Only 20% claimed they did. Buckingham and Clifton contend that productivity would dramatically increase if management aligned people’s jobs with their skills. They also argue that it is futile to invest much time attempting to strengthen weak areas because, while they may alter slightly, weaknesses are often resistant to dramatic change. Conversely, concentrating on your strengths can pay enormous dividends. Clifton provides a strengths finder instrument which helps people determine their strengths so they can focus their work in those areas to increase their effectiveness. Not surprisingly this book and its approach to leadership have been extremely popular.
Kaiser and his fellow authors tackle the strengths based leadership model head on. Kaiser notes: “And therein lies the problem: when practiced with a single-minded focus, the strengths approach can become an exercise in self-indulgence. It emphasizes what comes easily for managers and what they enjoy doing. . . It is a case of putting the needs of the individual above the needs of the organization” (4). Contrary to the strengths based approach, which maintains it is difficult to change weaknesses so people should not spend much time trying, there is evidence that weaknesses can be strengthened. Daniel Goleman in Working with Emotional Intelligence and Primal Leadership argues that even stubborn weaknesses (such as poor people skills) can be improved if properly addressed. Moreover, strengths that become overemphasized can in fact become counterproductive. For example, confidence can be a strength in a leader but overconfidence can derail a leader (44-46). Furthermore, strengths at one level of leadership can become a liability at another (48-49). For example, a hands-on management style, while effective at a lower level of management can be disastrous at a higher level. Yet it is often difficult for leaders to give up methods that have previously made them successful (49). This can lead to what the authors describe as “lopsided leadership” (68). There is an interesting chapter by Steven Berglas on “Victims of Their Own Success” which examines effective leaders who ultimately became “victims of their success” (79). He notes: “You become a victim of your success when success makes you too smart to learn you are about to fail” (87). The chapter, “Managerial Derailment: Weaknesses that can be fixed,” looks at leaders who fail to address their weaknesses as they climb the corporate ladder. Eventually, like a time bomb, these individuals reach a point where the fissures in their character undergo excessive strain and they break down (99-113).
This book provides much food for thought. Because it is not written from a Christian or biblical perspective it does not address some crucial issues for spiritual leaders. For example, it does not deal with the gifting and equipping of the Holy Spirit. There is a significant difference between a natural talent and the Holy Spirit’s equipping. Likewise, the Holy Spirit’s power enables the dramatic transformation of personal weaknesses into strengths. Perhaps this is reflected in Buckingham and Clifton’s book. Human reasoning would deem it a waste of time trying to change our weaknesses–better to simply maximize our strengths. But the Bible says the Holy Spirit is not satisfied until He has produced every one of the fruits of the Spirit in a person’s life (Galatians 5:22-23). There is in fact no weakness or sinful characteristic in a Christian’s life that God cannot transform (Galatians 2:20).
The fundamental question raised in this book is: where do leaders focus? On their strengths to get the most accomplished, or on their weaknesses which may produce a much smaller return? Spiritual leaders must focus where the Holy Spirit does. We must not be like Moses who was reluctant to take on his divine commission for fear his weaknesses would limit his usefulness to God. In fact, God works the other way around. If we have a character trait that dishonors God or limits our effectiveness, we can count on it that the Spirit will relentlessly assault that deficit. That is not to say we should become fixated on our shortcomings and thus fail to maximize and even celebrate our God-given skills and strengths. The Spirit will not allow us to become lopsided. He wants to move us toward completeness in Christ (Colossians 1:28). Yet God will not wait to use our lives until He has eradicated every flaw. He can and will work through our lives today, all the while addressing those areas of our lives that hinder us from even greater usefulness in the future.