Marcus Buckingham responds to a question during the Turner Construction Student Forum of the Tate Lecture Series on Tuesday. Buckingham, best known to SMU for StrengthsQuest, visited with students before the nighttime forum. (Stuart Palley)
Marcus Buckingham came to SMU for the first time to speak at the TXU Lecture of the Willis M. Tate Distinguished Lecture Series Tuesday evening.
The featured speaker is the best-selling co-author of First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently and Now, Discover Your Strengths and author of The One Thing You Need to Know and Go Put Your Strengths to Work.
Buckingham has worked for the Gallup Organization for 17 years, interviewing effective leaders around the world. His research at the organization led to the publishing of his best-selling books.
He spent the past decade helping clients identify and develop talented employees. He has lent his advice to some of America’s largest corporations such as Best Buy, Disney, Toyota and Fidelity Investments.
As a leading authority in management, Buckingham feels it is better to break free of traditional practices in order to maximize productivity.
Buckingham, the second speaker in this year’s lecture series, is known best at SMU for his creation of StrengthsQuest.
During his Lecture, Buckingham highlighted the difference between successful and unsuccessful companies by their response to one question: At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?
Those who utilize their talents have the best chances for achievement. However, in 2007, only 12 percent of Americans said they spent most of the day playing to their strengths. At SMU the results were 7 percent higher.
“The problem is that the world is fascinated by weaknesses and takes strengths for granted,” Buckingham said.
According to Buckingham 59 percent of people in America believe fixing weaknesses is the best way to succeed, while 41 percent believe it is better to build on strengths.
“To study health we shouldn’t look at disease,” Buckingham said. ” To study joy we shouldn’t look at depression.”
It is important to build on strengths and manage around weaknesses, however, Buckingham said that the key to success is developing specific strengths rather than simply acknowledging them.
Buckingham also addressed three common myths. As a person grows their personality does not change. Instead the person becomes more of who he or she already was. Next, one does not grow the most in areas of greatest weakness, but actually in areas of greatest strength.
Finally, a great team member does not put strengths aside to help the team; a great team member volunteers his strengths to the team.
Still one student believes that the most inspirational part of the lecture was Buckingham’s own story.
“During the question and answer section, Marcus Buckingham shared with us that he had a stammer when he was twelve, but he used his strengths to overcome his speech impediment,” freshman Alaa Al-Barghuthi said, “And now he travels across the world, giving motivating seminars and powerful lectures.”
