Apr 22, 2020
Tom Rath is an
author and researcher who has spent the past two decades studying
how work can improve human health and well-being. Tom served 13
years at Gallup, where Tom led the organization’s strengths,
employee engagement, and leadership consulting worldwide. He is the
author of 10 books and has sold more than 10 million copies. Tom’s
first book, How Full Is
Your Bucket?,
co-written with his grandfather during his last year of life, was
an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and it is used in
classrooms around the world. He is also the author of
StrengthsFinder
2.0. Tom has two books
out in 2020, Life’s
Great Question and It’s Not About You.
Key Takeaways
[3:50] Tom shares the evolution
of his literary work.
[8:40] At Gallup, Tom asked
people all over the world what a good life looked like for them.
Relationships, what you’re doing in your community, and your health
came back to be the top most important things.
[9:25] Tom shares what he
believes a great life is...
[12:10] Your life is better off
and other people’s lives are better off because of the work that
you’re doing.
[15:00] In Tom’s books, he
encourages people to take a survey or a quiz at the end. He has
learned that if you give people something to do after they’ve read
your work, they’re more likely to incorporate your lessons or
principals into their lives.
[18:40] What people really want
from leaders is trust, compassion, stability, and hope.
[20:25] Leaders need to push
their efforts outward and think deeply about what the world
needs.
[22:55] It’s in everybody’s best
interest to bring humanity back into the work. Human connection
leads to better quality work.
[28:45] We should challenge
ourselves to be better strength-finders for other
people.
[31:20] Tom has noticed
executive teams are woefully deficient in the area of building
strong relationships. He believes there are not enough women on
leadership teams.
[33:10] It’s human nature to
surround yourself with people who act and think the same way. Tom
believes it’s important to get people to think about how they can
uniquely contribute to making a difference in the business from day
one.
[39:15] When it comes to the
future of work, Tom hopes we can develop ways where humans can find
their work passions and meanings a lot faster.
[41:40] Tom would like to be
remembered as a very caring dad and husband, first. Second, he
would like to leave a legacy that lives on for years to
come.
[42:15] Tom’s challenge:
What’s one thing you can do today that will continue to
grow in your absence?
Quotable Quotes
- “What’s one thing you can do
today that will continue to grow in your
absence?”
- The
key to leadership is trust, compassion, stability, and
hope.
- “So
many times we’re looking for answers in the wrong places and it
seems counterintuitive to say look for happiness outside of
you.”
- “My
hunch is that over the next 10–25 years, just standalone narrative
books, especially in non-fiction, are going to be harder and harder
for people to read through and apply that knowledge.”
- “The
part where we’ve fallen short in helping leaders is to turn a
majority of their efforts outward and to think, not only about who
they are, but what the world needs.”
- “The
more leaders can draw direct connections with the way their
employee’s daily work serves specific constituencies and needs, the
more meaningful it makes the work and the better people feel about
it, and the more likely they’ll stick with it.”
- “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is
what are you doing for others.”
—
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Resources and Books Mentioned
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