Ever wondered how to really get a handle on your natural talents? CliftonStrengths—once called StrengthsFinder—is an assessment designed to help you figure out your unique blend of strengths. Educational psychologist Donald Clifton created this tool, and honestly, it’s helped millions of people and organizations focus on what they naturally do best, instead of just trying to fix their shortcomings.
The assessment looks at the way you tend to think, feel, and act, and then highlights these as areas where you can shine. Unlike personality tests that put you in a box, CliftonStrengths offers practical, action-focused insights you can actually use. It’s become especially popular in schools through CliftonStrengths for Students (used to be called StrengthsQuest), giving young people a way to build confidence by recognizing what makes them tick.
Companies use CliftonStrengths to build teams that play to everyone’s unique abilities. When people know and use their strengths, they tend to feel more engaged and productive at work. Usually, the assessment highlights your top talents from a list of 34 themes, giving you a jumping-off point for both personal and professional growth.
What Is CliftonStrengths (Formerly StrengthsFinder)?
CliftonStrengths is a tool that helps you spot your natural talents and grow them into real strengths. It gives you a look into how you naturally think, feel, and behave.
Background and History
Donald Clifton, who led Gallup, Inc., developed CliftonStrengths. He started by asking, “What if we studied what’s right with people, not what’s wrong?” That simple question kicked off decades of research into human strengths.
They launched the assessment in 1999 as Clifton StrengthsFinder. Tom Rath’s book “StrengthsFinder 2.0” came out in 2004 and really put it on the map.
In 2015, Gallup renamed it “CliftonStrengths” in honor of its creator. Since then, millions of people—students, employees, leaders—have taken it around the world.
Purpose and Objectives
CliftonStrengths mainly helps people discover and develop their natural talents. It identifies your top talent themes from a possible 34.
By understanding their talents, people can:
- Build strengths by adding knowledge and skills to their talents
- Boost performance at school or work
- Feel more engaged and satisfied in their jobs
- Create better teams by using everyone’s different strengths
Organizations lean on CliftonStrengths to build programs that help employees grow by focusing on what they do best, not just what they need to fix.
Key Terminology
Talents: The natural ways you think, feel, or act that can be useful. Everyone’s got their own set.
Strengths: When you take a talent and build on it with practice and learning, you get a strength. It’s talent plus effort.
Themes: The 34 themes in CliftonStrengths group similar talents together. Some examples:
- Achiever
- Strategic
- Relator
- Analytical
- Communication
Domains: Those 34 themes fit into four domains:
- Executing
- Influencing
- Relationship Building
- Strategic Thinking
Each domain shows a different way people and teams reach goals and work together.
How CliftonStrengths Works
CliftonStrengths helps you spot your natural patterns in thinking, feeling, and acting. The process is pretty simple, but it’s surprisingly revealing.
Overview of the Assessment Process
The assessment gives you 177 paired statements to answer in about 30 minutes. For each pair, you pick which one feels more like you. The idea is to measure what comes naturally—not what you’ve learned.
Since it’s online, anyone with internet can take it. The time limit for each question pair matters because it pushes you to go with your gut, not overthink things.
When you finish, the system crunches your answers and spits out a personalized strengths profile. It uses some pretty advanced algorithms to spot your natural patterns.
Types of Strengths: The 34 Themes
CliftonStrengths sorts talents into 34 themes, each showing a different way people stand out. The themes fall into four domains:
Strategic Thinking Domain:
- Analytical, Context, Futuristic, Ideation, Input, Intellection, Learner, Strategic
Relationship Building Domain:
- Adaptability, Connectedness, Developer, Empathy, Harmony, Includer, Individualization, Positivity, Relator
Influencing Domain:
- Activator, Command, Communication, Competition, Maximizer, Self-Assurance, Significance, Woo
Executing Domain:
- Achiever, Arranger, Belief, Consistency, Deliberative, Discipline, Focus, Responsibility, Restorative
Each theme is a natural talent you can develop further.
Understanding Your Results
Once you’re done, you get your top five talent themes—your “Signature Themes.” These are the areas where you’ve got the most potential.
Your results include detailed descriptions of each theme and how it might show up in your life. Honestly, you might notice patterns you never really thought about before.
If you want more, you can see your full ranking of all 34 themes. That broader view helps you understand both your go-to talents and the ones you use less.
These results don’t box you in. They give you a starting point for personal growth by focusing on what you’re naturally good at.
Benefits of CliftonStrengths
CliftonStrengths shifts the focus to what people do well, which can really boost performance and engagement for individuals, teams, and whole organizations.
Individual Development
CliftonStrengths gives you a clearer picture of your natural patterns. This self-awareness lets you use your talents more effectively every day.
People who play to their strengths are six times more likely to feel engaged at work. They’re usually more productive and satisfied than folks who only work on fixing weaknesses.
The assessment also gives you a way to talk about what you’re good at. This makes it easier to show your value to employers, teammates, or clients.
When you know your strengths, you can aim your career in a direction that fits you. A lot of people say they find more meaning in their work after discovering how their strengths drive their success.
Team Performance
Teams that use CliftonStrengths often communicate and collaborate better. When everyone knows each other’s talents, it’s way easier to divvy up work so people play to their strengths.
Some key team benefits:
- Roles fit people better
- Less conflict
- More appreciation for differences
- Stronger collaboration
- Higher engagement
Teams with a mix of strengths handle tough problems more easily. For instance, combining analytical thinkers with relationship builders means solutions can be both smart and people-focused.
Managers who know their team’s strengths can coach and develop people more effectively. This usually leads to better performance and people sticking around longer.
Organizational Impact
When organizations roll out CliftonStrengths, they often see real improvements in important metrics. Companies report an average 10-19% jump in sales and 14-29% higher profits when employees use their strengths every day.
Employee engagement goes up, which means less turnover and lower hiring costs.
The work culture gets a boost too. Instead of obsessing over weaknesses, people focus on what they bring to the table. It creates a more supportive vibe where employees feel valued.
Leadership programs get a lot out of strengths assessments. When leaders know their own talents, they can lead in a way that feels more natural and effective.
The 34 CliftonStrengths Themes
The CliftonStrengths assessment highlights 34 different talent themes—basically, natural patterns in how people think, feel, and act. These are grouped into four big domains that help you see how you can best pitch in and work with others.
Explanation of Theme Categories
Here’s how the 34 themes break down into four domains:
- Executing Themes: These folks get things done:
- Achiever, Arranger, Belief, Consistency
- Deliberative, Discipline, Focus, Responsibility
- Restorative
- Influencing Themes: They persuade and take charge:
- Activator, Command, Communication
- Competition, Maximizer, Self-Assurance
- Significance, Woo
- Relationship Building Themes: They create strong connections:
- Adaptability, Developer, Connectedness
- Empathy, Harmony, Includer
- Individualization, Positivity, Relator
- Strategic Thinking Themes: They process info and make decisions:
- Analytical, Context, Futuristic, Ideation
- Input, Intellection, Learner, Strategic
Each domain shows a different way people can shine at work and in life.
Notable Strengths Examples
A few themes stand out and are pretty easy to spot:
Achiever: These people work hard and keep going. They love getting stuff done and feel good when they’re productive.
Empathy: People with Empathy really get what others are feeling, sometimes even before a word is said. They can put themselves in someone else’s shoes.
Strategic: Strategic thinkers spot patterns in chaos. They quickly see options and figure out the best path forward.
Learner: Learners just love the process of learning. It’s not even about the end goal—they get excited by picking up new things.
These examples show how strengths can play out in everyday life and work.
Practical Applications of Themes
Knowing your CliftonStrengths themes can pay off in lots of ways:
Career Development: You can aim for jobs that fit your top themes. Someone high in Analytical and Strategic might love research or planning.
Team Building: Managers can build well-rounded teams by looking at everyone’s themes. If a team is light on Executing themes, they might struggle to finish projects.
Personal Growth: Focus on growing where you’re already strong, instead of wasting energy on weaknesses. It’s usually more rewarding and faster, too.
Communication: When you know your coworkers’ themes, you can work together better. Maybe you give more data to an Analytical teammate or let someone with Ideation run wild with creative ideas.
Used thoughtfully, these themes help people work better and feel more satisfied with what they do.
Taking the CliftonStrengths Assessment
The CliftonStrengths assessment helps you spot your natural talents by walking you through a series of timed questions. If you know what to expect and follow a few tips, you’ll get results that really reflect who you are.
How to Get Started
You’ll need to buy the assessment from Gallup’s official website to get started. The basic version shows your top 5 strengths; the full version ranks all 34.
You’ll answer 177 paired statements, picking which describes you best. Each pair gives you 20 seconds—just enough to go with your gut, not overthink it.
The whole thing takes about 30-45 minutes, and it works best if you do it in one go with no interruptions.
When you’re done, you’ll get a report with your top strengths and ideas for using them at work, at home, or wherever you want.
Tips for Accurate Results
Before you start, find a quiet spot where you won’t get distracted. Silence your phone and make sure you won’t be interrupted.
Answer honestly, based on what feels natural—not what you think you should say. There’s no right or wrong here.
Don’t overthink it. The 20-second timer is there to catch your gut reaction, which is usually the most accurate.
Take the test when you’re in a neutral mood. If you’re stressed or emotional, you might answer differently than usual.
Keep in mind: strengths aren’t set in stone. Your top talents usually stick with you, but how you use them can change as you grow.
Interpreting and Using Your CliftonStrengths Results
Once you get your CliftonStrengths results, you’ll have a window into your natural talents and how to put them to work. The assessment shows your top strengths out of 34 themes, highlighting where you naturally excel.
Personal Growth Strategies
After you get your results, take a little time to think about each strength and how it shows up in your day-to-day life. Look for patterns—moments where you feel energized or things just seem to come easily.
Try pairing your strengths for extra impact. For example, if you have both Strategic and Activator, you might be great at coming up with plans and then actually making them happen.
Find ways to use your strengths more on purpose. If you’re big on Relationship Building, look for projects where you can team up with others.
You might want to keep a journal to track how you use your strengths and spot new opportunities to grow.
Developing Action Plans
Set goals that play to your strengths instead of getting bogged down by weaknesses. Focus on getting even better at what comes naturally.
For each strength, jot down a couple of ways you could use it at work, at home, or in your side projects. If you’ve got Communication, maybe offer to lead a meeting or start a podcast.
Think about how your strengths might come across to others. If you’re a strong Achiever, remember to balance getting things done with connecting to people so you don’t seem too intense.
Team up with folks whose strengths fill in your gaps. If you’re not super Analytical but have lots of ideas, work with someone who can help you sort through them.
Check in on your action plan every month or so to make sure you’re actually using your strengths where it counts.
CliftonStrengths in the Workplace
CliftonStrengths gives organizations a way to boost performance by focusing on what employees do best, not just what they struggle with. When you lean into strengths, you get more engaged teams and leaders who actually connect with their people.
Employee Engagement
Organizations that use CliftonStrengths usually see employees get more involved at work. When people understand their natural talents, they use them more often and with more confidence in their day-to-day jobs.
Gallup’s research found that teams where members know their strengths become 8-15% more productive. These teams also tend to stick around longer and feel happier in their roles.
CliftonStrengths creates a shared language about talents within an organization. Colleagues start to “get” each other’s work styles and preferences, which makes collaboration smoother—even if they don’t always agree.
Managers who talk about strengths during regular check-ins with their teams get better outcomes. These conversations help employees feel seen for what they bring to the table.
Leadership Development
CliftonStrengths can really shape how leaders grow. When leaders understand their own strengths, they make smarter choices about who does what and how to build out their teams.
Benefits for Leaders:
- More self-awareness
- Stronger ability to build teams that complement each other
- Leadership that feels authentic, not forced
- Better coaching skills
Leaders who use strengths-based approaches often end up with more productive teams. They learn to put people in roles that actually fit their talents instead of just filling seats.
The assessment shows leaders that there’s more than one way to lead well. Instead of squeezing themselves into some cookie-cutter mold, they can build on what makes them unique.
Comparing CliftonStrengths to Other Assessments
CliftonStrengths stands out among many personality and strengths assessments out there. Each tool has its own take on helping people discover and use their natural talents.
Distinctive Features
CliftonStrengths (once known as StrengthsFinder) uses positive psychology to focus on what people already do well. It highlights your top 5—or all 34—strength themes, based on a huge talent database Gallup built over decades.
Instead of pointing out your weaknesses, CliftonStrengths encourages you to use your natural talents. The assessment sorts strengths into four main domains: Strategic Thinking, Relationship Building, Influencing, and Executing.
Pricing starts at $24.99 for the Top 5 strengths report, with more options if you want the full 34 themes. Organizations like CliftonStrengths for its research-backed approach and real-world usefulness.
Popular Alternatives
Several other assessments compete with CliftonStrengths in the professional development world:
Strengths Profile (once called Realise2) breaks things down into realized strengths, unrealized strengths, learned behaviors, and weaknesses. This gives a more detailed look at how people use their abilities day to day.
Insights Discovery uses colors to map out personality preferences and communication styles. While CliftonStrengths zeroes in on talents, Insights focuses more on how people act and interact.
Working Genius takes a different route, looking at six types of work contributions. This tool is all about productivity and teamwork, not just personality traits.
Each of these alternatives brings something different to the table, depending on what you or your organization want to achieve.
Common Myths and Misconceptions
A lot of people have the wrong idea about CliftonStrengths, and these myths can get in the way of using it effectively.
Myth #1: CliftonStrengths measures personality traits.
Actually, the assessment measures natural talents and potential—not personality. Its real purpose is to help people build on their strengths.
Myth #2: We should focus only on strengths and ignore weaknesses.
That’s probably the most common misconception. The strengths-based approach isn’t about ignoring weaknesses. Instead, it’s about understanding them and finding ways to manage them, often by leaning on your strengths.
Myth #3: The assessment results are your strengths.
What you get from the assessment are your talent themes, or potential strengths. You turn these into real strengths by adding knowledge, skills, and practice.
Myth #4: Building a strengths-based culture is easy.
Creating a workplace that truly values strengths takes ongoing effort. Leaders and team members have to keep at it.
Myth #5: Everyone should have the same strengths.
Different jobs need different combinations of strengths. Teams work best when there’s a mix that balances things out.
Myth #6: Your strengths never change.
Your top talent themes usually stay steady, but how you use and grow them changes as you move through your career and life.
Clearing up these myths helps people get more out of CliftonStrengths for their own growth and at work.
Resources for Further Learning
CliftonStrengths offers a bunch of resources to help people and organizations get the most out of strengths-based development. You’ll find everything from official guides to certification programs and community groups.
Official Guides and Publications
Gallup has put together a ton of learning materials for CliftonStrengths users. There are 34 worksheets and activities that make it easier to apply your talents in real life.
The official CliftonStrengths website includes guides that break down the assessment and its framework. You’ll also find combo guides that show how different talents work together.
If you want to go deeper, Gallup publishes books and case studies that dig into the science behind the assessment and share stories of how organizations have used it. There’s something for everyone, from beginners to experienced coaches.
Training and Certification
Gallup runs development programs for people who want to become certified CliftonStrengths coaches. Their Advanced CliftonStrengths Coaching course, for example, is a two-day experience focused on mastering the strengths approach.
The certification covers seven CliftonStrengths developmental milestones, giving coaches a clear structure to help clients grow. You’ll learn how to spot talents and turn them into real strengths.
Training options include:
- Intro coaching courses
- Advanced certification programs
- Specialized workshops for organizations
- Virtual learning sessions
These programs give professionals the tools to have real strengths conversations and build development plans that actually work for individuals and teams.
Community and Support Networks
CliftonStrengths practitioners really thrive when they tap into lively community networks that offer ongoing support and fresh learning experiences. Online forums bring strengths enthusiasts together from all over, turning into places where people swap best practices and real-life success stories.
Western University and a handful of other schools run resource hubs packed with helpful info, like insights into rare or common talent theme combos. These networks make it easier for practitioners to see how different strengths play off each other.
Plenty of organizations set up regular meetups, webinars, and conferences that zero in on strengths-based development. These gatherings are great for picking up new ideas and connecting with others who share your interests.
You’ll also find loads of CliftonStrengths-focused groups on social media. Folks head there for quick advice, to celebrate wins, or just to toss around new ways to use strengths in all sorts of situations.