The Five Talents That Really Matter

How Great Leaders Drive Extraordinary Performance

By: Barry Conchie, Sarah Dalton

Narrated by: Barry Conchie

A former Gallup Global Leadership Research and Development leader and the New York Times bestselling coauthor of Strengths-Based Leadership demystifies the aura and complexity surrounding high performing leaders through original research and interviews with high-performing global leaders.

The leadership space is rife with myths, such as the belief that anyone can be a leader with enough effort or that a leader's strengths can be their greatest weaknesses. According to Barry Conchie and his business partner Sarah Dalton, these statements are complete BS. The Five Talents That Really Matter dispels the fluff in leadership literature, unveiling the traits and characteristics that truly determine high-performance leadership.

This book serves as a guide, stripping away misconceptions and providing a template against which career-driven managers and leaders can assess and develop their capabilities. The five evidence-based talent dimensions are:

• Setting Direction: High-performing leaders guide their organizations through complex situations and articulate the value that so many employees find motivational and engaging.
• Building Energy: Driven by a burning work ethic, Talented leaders set an exacting example. They measure progress, and recognize that the most Talented employees beneath them demand their greatest attention and support.
• Exerting Pressure: Talented leaders assert a clear point of view and persuasively drive change and improvement, never settling for average outcomes.
• Increasing Connectivity: Outstanding leaders prioritize people, establishing effective followership through purposeful and ethical behavior, and demonstrating care and concern for those they lead.
• Controlling Traffic: High performing leaders understand their organizations, driving superior performance by establishing protocols and guardrails while showing agility and flexibility when circumstances change.

Through meticulous research, assessment, and testing, Conchie and Dalton have built a database that predicts the talents and behaviors of the most successful leaders. In this book they present for the first the first time a scientific model that demystifies the aura and complexity surrounding high performing leaders.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Barry Conchie and Sarah Dalton (P)2024 Hachette Go

Critic reviews

“The Five Talents is one of the sharpest and most practical books on leadership I have read! If you lead others, you need to read this book. If you hire or develop leaders, read this book and use it as a daily guide. It is a roadmap for developing sustainable and high performing teams.”—Tom Rath, New York Times Best-selling Author on Wellbeing and Organizational Leadership

“A game changer for CHRO’s attempting to drive performance focused on the definition and assessment of the most critical leadership talents. Data-driven and with actionable insights, this book addresses topics as important as succession planning, DEI, and leadership selection with strong, research-based authority.”—Ali Bebo, CHRO of Pearson

“This is a wise book that will change how serious people think about leadership. Conchie and Dalton bring refreshing clarity to a complex and convoluted field by elucidating the tortuous relationship between individual traits and organizational context. Their secret—meticulous science.”—Don Ronchi PhD, Senior Advisor at White Wolf Capital

Outstanding treatment of Leadership

Five Talents That Really Matter is a well-researched, data-driven analysis of what talents are at the core of great leaders. Barry Conchie and Sarah Dalton are not only sound research experts, but they put into practical terms how to find great leaders through a structured assessment process that separates the wheat from the chaff. If you listen to audio books, this would be the best 10 hours and 38 minutes you could spend on the topic of leadership. It should be required reading/listening for every executive team and board member. It creates a clear gulf between pop culture books on leadership and fact-based, scientifically sound leadership assessment and performance. It dismantles the popular falsehoods that seem to run rampant in today’s culture. It creates a path to building strong leadership within a company, along with practical, easy to understand examples. I applaud this effort, because I have seen these principles put into practice effectively in the commercial world. Well done, Barry and Sarah

Engaging, insightful, and rigorous—A Must-listen for aspiring leaders.

I started listening to "The Five Talents That Really Matter: How Great Leaders Drive Extraordinary Performance" by Barry Conchie and Sarah Dalton this week, and I’m thoroughly impressed. The narration is outstanding, with a smooth flow that makes the complex subject matter highly engaging. The story not only captures your attention but also resonates deeply, thanks to the authors' extensive experience and commitment to rigorous research.

What stands out most is how the book challenges popular leadership myths by grounding its insights in the scientific method. This is not just another leadership book filled with generic advice—it's a thoughtful exploration that answers complex questions about leadership performance, making it invaluable for those passionate about hiring and developing truly effective leaders.

The authors also speak directly to the "...disruptors, agitators, challengers..." in leadership roles, emphasizing the need for these qualities to drive positive change within organizations and, by extension, benefit broader communities.

Moreover, the book offers practical tools for assessing leadership, adding even more value to its content. If you're serious about leadership candidate selection and development and are looking for a resource that combines theory with actionable insights, this audiobook is a must-listen.