Exec MBA Search Exec. It all starts with your first unsatisfactory mark in kindergarten. From then on, most people devote tons of time and effort to correcting their weaknesses. People who sweat at the sight of a podium take classes to become better public speakers.
Stiff managers take leadership workshops to learn to be more in tune with their staffs.
Fact is, many people are so fixated on their weaknesses that they take their talents for granted. One way to identify those, the book suggests, is to take note of your spontaneous reactions. Think of the last time you attended a party where you didn't know many guests, the book recommends. By analyzing ourselves this way, the authors argue, we get closer to detecting our talents. Buckingham and Clifton, who are affiliated with opinion researcher Gallup Organization, base their opinions on 30 years' worth of Gallup interviews with 2 million people.