Tom Rath Quotes

If you spend your life trying to be good at everything, you will never be great at anything.

~ Tom Rath

Although individuals need not be well-rounded, teams should be.

~ Tom Rath

the key to human development is building on who you already are

~ Tom Rath

Perhaps the ultimate test of a leader is not what you are able to do in the here and now - but instead what continues to grow long after you're gone

~ Tom Rath

What great leaders have in common is that each truly knows his or her strengths - and can call on the right strength at the right time.

~ Tom Rath

The lesson here is clear: If you want people to understand that you value their contributions and that they are important, the recognition and praise you provide must have meaning that is specific to each individual.

~ Tom Rath

followers have a very clear picture of what they want and need from the most influential leaders in their lives: trust, compassion, stability, and hope

~ Tom Rath

If we can find short-term incentives that are consistent with our long-term objectives, it is much easier to make the right decisions in the moment.

~ Tom Rath

When we build on our strengths and daily successes — instead of focusing on failures — we simply learn more.

~ Tom Rath

Instead of celebrating what makes each child unique, most parents push their children to fit in so that they don't stick out. This unwittingly stomps out individuality and encourages conformity, despite these parents' good intentions

~ Tom Rath

What's more, we had discovered that people have several times more potential for growth, when they invest energy in developing their strenghts instead of correcting their deficiencies.

~ Tom Rath

The most successful people start with dominant talent—and then add skills, knowledge, and practice to the mix. When they do this, the raw talent actually serves as a multiplier.

~ Tom Rath

Every human being has talents that are just waiting to be uncovered.

~ Tom Rath

Making better choices takes work. There is a daily give and take, but it is worth the effort.

~ Tom Rath

I've seen so many people - loved ones and colleagues - who jump from one diet to the next, one exercise regimen to the next . I was trying to figure out what were some of the basic things that each of us can build into a lifestyle for good, instead of bouncing from one thing to the next.

~ Tom Rath

When your boss and colleagues care enough to invest in your health, it is good for you and the business.

~ Tom Rath

I would absolutely recommend against excessive positivity and optimism. Any positive emotion that you're infusing into a workplace needs to be grounded in reality. If it's not realistic, sincere, meaningful, and individualized, it won't do much good.

~ Tom Rath

Wanting a more positive environment isn't enough. You need to do something, and it doesn't require a great deal of effort or some huge change in the way you approach things at work.

~ Tom Rath

There's a conventional wisdom that says that strategic thinking is much more important than relationship building, which doesn't seem to be nearly as highly valued as it should be, based on what some of the leaders that I've spoken with have said to me.

~ Tom Rath

When we look at what has the strongest statistical relationship to overall evaluation of your life, the first one is your career well-being, or the mission, purpose and meaning of what you're doing when you wake up each day.

~ Tom Rath