Darren Virassammy is the co-founder and COO of 34 Strong, comprised of a team that believes everyone deserves a great place to work and that any workplace can be great. A leading expert in the global employee engagement community, the 34 Strong team leverages the strengths-based approach to human development to create massive shifts within organizations, both culturally and on the bottom line. Darren and his team have created sustainable change in small micro-businesses, all the way up to large organizational teams at the FDA, Bank of America, and The California Department of Public Health.

Recently, Darren has keynoted for Hitachi Global Women’s Conference, The Rotary World Peace Conference, The Professional Grounds Management Society, and Author Mike Michalowicz’ Profit Con. Darren’s 34 Strong business partner, Brandon Miller is the co-author (with his wife Analyn Miller) of a strengths-based parenting book titled Play to Their Strengths which was released in July of 2019. 

Random fun facts about Darren: He is an electric bassist and closed down Profit Con 2018 by performing a solo bass guitar piece he composed titled Metamorphosis as a tribute to the journey of entrepreneurs. He holds a black belt in Kyokushin Karate, a 3rd degree brown belt in Aki-jujitsu and loves training in and teaching Martial arts. He enjoys daily cold showers, Wim Hof Breathing and regular cold water plunges. As a result, his wife and kids (and many on his team and others who find this out about him) think he is certifiably insane.

In today’s conversation, Darren shares the essence to creating great workplaces and engaging teams. By fostering an environment where each person can play to their strengths, team members are more motivated, confident and can tangibly point to the value they bring to the organization. In turn, the organization benefits from greater synergy, increased creativity, motivation and productivity. Darren provides valuable insights into how you can apply this approach to any business and team, small or large.

Key Takeaways

1. Everyone deserves a great place to work and that any workplace can be great.
2. Talents are defined as our natural patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviors that can be productively applied.
3. In school we are conditioned to focus on our greatest areas of weakness rather than our strengths.
4. We can focus on improving our weaknesses and get to a level of mediocrity. The real question is, what are we aiming for – mediocrity or excellence?
5. Playing to our strengths includes owning where we shine and where we’re blind.
6. When people are playing to their strengths, they are more energized, enthusiastic, and engaged.
7. Over 65% of the US workforce is disengaged in some capacity.
8. People want to be valued for being valuable.
9. People are the lifeblood that flows through organizations. You can’t have a healthy organization with unhealthy lifeblood flowing through it.
10. Culture is created every single day. One email, one phone call, one conversation at a time.
11. Do you want to create culture by design or by accident? Either way, it’s going to happen.
12. As a consultant you are not the change agent, you are the guide.
13. The true measure of a leader is not what happens while they’re there, it’s what happens when they’re not.
14. We often undervalue what we are a genius in because it is so easy. Yet that’s what people value in us.
15. Celebrate your failures because they make you who you are. Own your mistakes and ask what you can learn from it.

Episode Show Notes: https://leadersoftransformation.com/podcast/leadership/280-darren-virassammy-employee-engagement 

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