The Power of Feedback by Joe Folkman“The only people who are truly incompetent are those who refuse to listen to and accept feedback from others.”

“People do not give equal attention to all attributes. Some characteristics count more than others. Understanding which characteristics are most critical is an essential element in bringing about change.”

“Small changes in specific areas can have a significant impact on others’ perceptions of you and create a halo effect.”

“We have found that leaders with strengths tended to be rated as more likely to be promoted, receive a greater number of stock options, and have direct reports who are less likely to quit.”

“After detailed research analysis, it became apparent to me that the same companion skills appear consistently in repeated studies, and companion behaviors were found to be associated with every skill studied. This breakthrough indicated that the head-on approach is only one way, and perhaps not always the best way to address the problem of change. The combination of the two skills — the desired one and a companion one — increases effectiveness and is often easier to carry out.”

“It didn’t seem to matter which competency people had strength in, as long as they performed that competency extremely well — at the 90th percentile or better.”

“Changes that last are those that are natural and consistent with our core character and personal style.”

“We found that the key to predicting highly effective people was not the absence of weaknesses, but rather the presence of a few profound strengths.”