Strengths for Life
Quotable Quotes
"My mission is to help other people achieve their goals - assuming that they are not immoral or unethical!"
Peter Drucker
“Guitar music is on the way out.” Decca Records after turning down a group called the Beatles, 1962
“The three greatest leaders of the 20th century were Hitler, Stalin, and Mao.
Exalted leadership…
I want no part of.”
Peter Drucker
“Organizations are no longer built on force. They are increasingly built on trust.”
Peter Drucker
Peter Drucker 1909-2005
In honor and appreciation to the most quoted and most highly regarded management writer and thinker of our time.
QuickLinks:
The oldest company in the world is a hotel. The Hoshi Hotel in Japan, has been in existence since 721 AD.
There are 31 other companies in the world that have been in existence between 200 and 1300 years. These 32 companies all belong to one of the most elite clubs in the world – The Henokein Association.
If you study these companies, they have three things in common –
- All have some level of family management
- There is a collective spirit of team, not self-interest
- They continue to work with their unique strengths, as they have for centuries
This issue of PI-Online is dedicated to strengths, because frankly none of us leave particularly valuable legacies from our weaknesses. We offer you our thinking on how to identify and intentionally develop your unique abilities.
This issue is also an announcement. After 25 years in business, The Professional Image, Inc. will become the Bixler Consulting Group as of January 3, 2006. While professionalism and visual impact will always be a part of our coaching, it is no longer the core of what we do. We will send you new contact information on January 3rd.
Our consulting team has grown and today we offer a wide range of senior leadership consulting, including long-term development and succession planning.
We are grateful for all that our clients have contributed to our company and our lives. The
Bixler Consulting Group continues to be fully invested in your development and legacy – both personal and corporate.
Warm wishes for a great holiday and New Year,
Susan & Lisa
Strengths for Life
"Your success will be defined in myriad ways so get competent and credible in what you love to do." Commencement address given by Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, Comedy Central
Much in the world is uncertain. Much in life we don’t control. But specifically knowing your strengths and how to access them, gives you fearlessness in an uncertain world. You get to lead your life – it doesn’t lead you.
Using strengths, you have an opportunity to see who you really are. You won't waste time trying to significantly improve in areas where you aren’t naturally gifted. It is probably the best New Year’s present you can give yourself. No one is good in everything. That’s why we have teams and partnerships.
Identifying strengths and then getting competent saves time, cuts down on frustration, opens conversation, and generates profits. Why would Tiger Woods take up ballet and how much impact would he have there? Why would Oprah become a financial planner, even though she has made a lot of money? Their strengths reside in leveraging their natural gifts.
Strengths fortify you emotionally. Once you identify your strengths, you won't second guess yourself and your decisions. A sense of self-confidence, assurance, and courage naturally emerges.
Simply stated, going with your strengths today gives you a rock solid future. Success comes from staying focused not on what you can’t do, but what you can do.
Dick and Ricky Hoyt are an example of focusing on what can be done. As a father and son team, they have completed 212 Triathlons and 4 Ironmen. Together they are 35 minutes off the world record at the Boston Marathon for their age group.
But Ricky has never walked, much less run a step in his life. And he can’t talk without the use of a computer. His umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and from birth his life has been very different than yours and mine. But he has gone with his strengths – a fierce, competitive spirit and an attitude of "Yes I Can". You may have heard their story on HBO's Real Sports. If not, you can order their DVD at teamhoyt.com.
A few ideas:
- Purchase the book “Now, Discover Your Strengths” by Marcus Buckingham
and take the StrengthsFinder assessment that accompanies it. It is a thought provoking tool that will identify your top 5 strengths.
- Review any assessments you have taken: The Myers Briggs, DiSC, HBDI, Hogan Leadership Series, or others and write down the strengths you find in these. We often take them for granted and need to be reminded of what we naturally possess.
- Review your past year. Where did you succeed? What were your disappointments? What did you really enjoy doing?
- Ask someone you know well and trust to articulate the strengths they see in you.
- List 20 things that you like to do. List 20 things that you don’t like to do. You won’t even need an on-line assessment for this strength evaluation.
- Everyone can leave a legacy, not just the rich and famous. Take one day off before the end of the year (either by yourself or with a significant person in your life) and write down your 2006 goals. Then write down your 2026 goals. What do you need to do immediately and in the next 20 years to achieve your life time goals?
- Write the inscription that would be on a plaque or statue built in your honor, or have someone who knows you write it. In a sentence, you will have the end result of your hard-wired and factory-installed unique strengths and abilities.
Here's to another great year and your continued growth and enduring legacy for many years to come!