Short. Blunt. To the Point. A great concept for a self-help book. I recently read this book called The Truth About You, by Marcus Buckingham. In it, he explains a simple concept that many of us have missed: we must play to our strengths. But Buckingham is quick to tell us that our strengths aren’t simply something we’re good at, but are roles and tasks that make us feel alive, vibrant, excited, and, well… strong.
What is refreshing about this book is it unapologetically goes against conventional wisdom. The author tells us not to work on our weaknesses, but instead work on our strengths so that they will outshine and overcome our weaknesses. He’s also not afraid to tell us that it’s performance that counts, and many of us have taken jobs outside of our strengths, just because it’s a better title or bigger paycheck. Buckingham believes that we can be most effective and successful if we work within our strengths:
It’s a competitive world out there. You’ll make your greatest, longest-lasting, most extraordinary, most memorable contribution when you figure out where you have some natural advantage over everybody else, and then push and push those strengths into play.
In fact, this really isn’t a book, it’s more of a “system.” The hardback book actually includes a DVD, including a 20-minute introductory film and other training videos, and a notebook, which the author proposes that you will write down your strengths and weaknesses throughout the day to help you identify and work on them. It’s a neat little system, although the DVD and book are a bit repetitive.
Overall, it’s a quick, straight-to-the-point system that really changes the way you look at what your thought were your strengths and weaknesses. The target audience for this book is probably college-aged, but many of us older folk can still benefit from the author’s insight.