The Perils of Accentuating the Positive by Rob Kaiser, 11-26-2008

November 26, 2008: Rob Kaiser of Kaplan DeVries assembles thought leaders to expose the half-truths and hidden dangers in focusing only on strengths in development. New book: “The Perils of Accentuating the Positive,” Hogan Press, March 2009.

“Never mind weaknesses, focus on strengths,” goes the thinking behind a seductively appealing movement in modern management development. But this is only half the story, and neglecting the other half can derail the best of intentions and the best of leaders.

The Perils of Accentuating the Positive is a new book edited by Robert B. Kaiser and will be available from http://www.hoganpress.com in March 2009. The book pulls together some of the leadership field’s most respected authorities to share big ideas with a clear line of sight to practical applications for helping managers avoid the traps and hidden dangers in strengths-based development.

For an overview of the book, see the article, “Strength Test: Debunking an Unbalanced Approach to Development,” featured in the Center for Creative Leadership’s Leadership in Action magazine. Download article.

See reviews of the book here and here.

Read Rob Kaiser’s article linking the strengths movement to the global economic crisis, Too Good to Be True, in the March 2009 issue of Chief Learning Officer magazine.

→