The Gallup Strengths, often referred to as CliftonStrengths (formerly known as StrengthsFinder), is a personality tool and development methodology based on the work of psychologist Donald O. Clifton. It’s designed to help individuals identify, understand, and maximize their unique talents and strengths.

This article was inspired by my time on the National Cyber Security Centre‘s NCSC for Startups accelerator programme on behalf of Cyber Tzar.

Contents

Basic Premise

Every individual has a unique combination of talents, knowledge, and skills. Of these, talents are the most foundational. When individuals understand their innate talents and invest in them, they can turn them into strengths.

34 Signature Themes

The CliftonStrengths assessment identifies an individual’s top talent themes from a list of 34 possible themes. Each theme signifies a naturally recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behaviour that can be productively applied. Some of the 34 themes include Achiever, Adaptability, Strategic, Learner, and Relator, among others.

Here’s a quick overview of these themes:

1. Achiever: Individuals with this strength feel a strong drive for accomplishment and productivity.
2. Activator: People who can make things happen by turning thoughts into action.
3. Adaptability: Those who are especially agile in dealing with the unpredictable and can easily “go with the flow.”
4. Analytical: People who search for reasons and causes and have the ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation.
5. Arranger: Those adept at organizing and orchestrating multiple tasks and getting things done.
6. Belief: People with core values that affect their behaviours and provide direction to their lives.
7. Command: Individuals with a presence who can take control of a situation and make decisions.
8. Communication: People who find it easy to put their thoughts into words, both written and spoken.
9. Competition: Those who measure their progress against the performance of others and have a desire to win.
10. Connectedness: Individuals who have faith in the links between all things and believe there are few coincidences.
11. Consistency: People who are keen on treating everyone the same and are advocates for fairness.
12. Context: Those who enjoy looking back to understand the present.
13. Deliberative: People who take serious care in making decisions or choices.
14. Developer: Individuals who see the potential in others and derive satisfaction from helping them grow.
15. Discipline: People who enjoy structure and order, and who work best when their world is predictable.
16. Empathy: Those who can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives.
17. Focus: People who can set goals and use them to guide their actions and decisions.
18. Futuristic: Those who are inspired by the future and what could be.
19. Harmony: Individuals who seek consensus and try to avoid conflict.
20. Ideation: People fascinated by ideas and able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
21. Includer: Those who accept others and show awareness of those who feel left out.
22. Individualization: People who are intrigued by the unique qualities of individuals.
23. Input: Those who have a need to collect and archive, and who see value in information.
24. Intellection: Individuals who like to think and are introspective.
25. Learner: People who have a great desire to learn and improve.
26. Maximizer: Those who focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence.
27. Positivity: People who are very enthusiastic, regardless of what the situation might be.
28. Relator: Those who enjoy close relationships and working well in teams.
29. Responsibility: Individuals who take psychological ownership of what they say they will do.
30. Restorative: People who excel at figuring out how to restore and resolve challenges.
31. Self-Assurance: Those with an inner confidence in their decisions and abilities.
32. Significance: People wanting to make a big impact and be seen as significant in the eyes of others.
33. Strategic: Individuals with the ability to see patterns, make connections, and devise multiple pathways to achieve a goal.
34. Woo (Winning Others Over): Those who love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over.

Each of these themes provides insights into an individual’s natural patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. By understanding and leveraging these patterns, individuals can maximize their potential and achieve greater levels of success and satisfaction in their personal and professional lives.

Benefits

1. Self-awareness: Individuals gain insights into their innate talents and how they can be leveraged for personal and professional growth.
2. Team Development: By understanding the strengths of each team member, teams can function more cohesively and leverage each person’s strengths.
3. Increased Engagement and Productivity: Studies by Gallup suggest that people who know and use their strengths every day are more engaged in their work and more productive.

Application

Many organizations use the CliftonStrengths framework for talent development, team building, and leadership training. Individuals also use it for personal growth and career planning.

Critiques

As with any personality assessment, CliftonStrengths has its critics. Some argue that focusing solely on strengths might lead to ignoring areas that need development. However, proponents argue that the focus on strengths is more effective than traditional deficit-based approaches.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Gallup Strengths model is a tool for individuals and teams to identify and build upon their unique strengths, leading to increased self-awareness, engagement, and productivity.