CliftonStrengths Assessment: Complete Guide to the 34 Talent Themes

In the world of personal and professional development, few assessments have had as profound an impact as Gallup's CliftonStrengths (formerly known as StrengthsFinder). Based on over 50 years of research into human talents, this assessment has helped millions of people discover their natural patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving—their talents—and develop them into strengths.

Whether you're seeking career guidance, looking to improve team performance, or simply want to understand yourself better, CliftonStrengths offers a unique, research-backed approach to personal development that focuses on what you do best rather than trying to fix your weaknesses.

What is CliftonStrengths?

CliftonStrengths is a talent assessment developed by Gallup that identifies your top talent themes from a list of 34 possible themes. Unlike many personality tests that categorize you into types, CliftonStrengths recognizes that each person has a unique combination of talents, with over 33 million possible combinations of top 5 themes.

The Philosophy Behind CliftonStrengths

The assessment is built on a simple but powerful principle: You have the greatest potential for growth in the areas of your strongest talents. This strengths-based approach differs from traditional development methods that focus on improving weaknesses.

Key principles include:

Talent is natural and recurring: Your talents are consistent patterns that emerge early and remain stable throughout your life
Strengths = Talent × Investment: Raw talent becomes a strength when combined with knowledge, skills, and practice
Focus on strengths, not weaknesses: You'll achieve more by developing your natural talents than by trying to fix areas of lesser talent

The Science Behind CliftonStrengths

Gallup's research began in the 1960s with psychologist Donald O. Clifton, who studied what made people successful. Through interviews with over 2 million people, researchers identified recurring patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior that predict success.

Research Foundation:

Based on 50+ years of research
Over 27 million people have taken the assessment
Validated across cultures and industries
Continuous research and refinement

The 34 CliftonStrengths Talent Themes

The 34 talent themes are organized into four domains of leadership strength:

Executing Domain

People with dominant Executing themes know how to make things happen.

1. Achiever People exceptionally talented in the Achiever theme work hard and possess a great deal of stamina. They take satisfaction from being busy and productive.

2. Arranger People exceptionally talented in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to determine how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.

3. Belief People exceptionally talented in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their lives.

4. Consistency People exceptionally talented in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone with equality by setting up clear rules and adhering to them.

5. Deliberative People exceptionally talented in the Deliberative theme are best described by the serious care they take in making decisions or choices. They anticipate obstacles.

6. Discipline People exceptionally talented in the Discipline theme enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create.

7. Focus People exceptionally talented in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.

8. Responsibility People exceptionally talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

9. Restorative People exceptionally talented in the Restorative theme are adept at dealing with problems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it.

Influencing Domain

People with dominant Influencing themes know how to take charge, speak up, and make sure others are heard.

10. Activator People exceptionally talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They want to do things now, rather than simply talk about them.

11. Command People exceptionally talented in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions.

12. Communication People exceptionally talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.

13. Competition People exceptionally talented in the Competition theme measure their progress against the performance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contests.

14. Maximizer People exceptionally talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.

15. Self-Assurance People exceptionally talented in the Self-Assurance theme feel confident in their ability to take risks and manage their own lives. They have an inner compass that gives them certainty in their decisions.

16. Significance People exceptionally talented in the Significance theme want to make a big impact. They are independent and prioritize projects based on how much influence they will have on their organization or people around them.

17. Woo People exceptionally talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with someone.

Relationship Building Domain

People with dominant Relationship Building themes have the ability to build strong relationships that hold a team together.

18. Adaptability People exceptionally talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to go with the flow. They tend to be "now" people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.

19. Connectedness People exceptionally talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links among all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has meaning.

20. Developer People exceptionally talented in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from evidence of progress.

21. Empathy People exceptionally talented in the Empathy theme can sense other people's emotions by imagining themselves in others' lives or situations.

22. Harmony People exceptionally talented in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don't enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.

23. Includer People exceptionally talented in the Includer theme want to include others and make them feel part of the group. They are accepting of others and show awareness of those who feel left out.

24. Individualization People exceptionally talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how different people can work together productively.

25. Positivity People exceptionally talented in the Positivity theme have contagious enthusiasm. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.

26. Relator People exceptionally talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.

Strategic Thinking Domain

People with dominant Strategic Thinking themes absorb and analyze information that informs better decisions.

27. Analytical People exceptionally talented in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all of the factors that might affect a situation.

28. Context People exceptionally talented in the Context theme enjoy thinking about the past. They understand the present by researching its history.

29. Futuristic People exceptionally talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They energize others with their visions of the future.

30. Ideation People exceptionally talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.

31. Input People exceptionally talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

32. Intellection People exceptionally talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.

33. Learner People exceptionally talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. The process of learning, rather than the outcome, is especially exciting for them.

34. Strategic People exceptionally talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

Understanding Your CliftonStrengths Results

The Top 5 Strengths Report

When you take the CliftonStrengths assessment, you receive your Top 5 talent themes ranked in order of intensity. These represent your most dominant areas of talent—the themes where you have the greatest potential for strength development.

Your Top 5 Tells You:

What comes naturally to you: Your instinctive patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior
Where to invest your time: Areas with the highest potential for growth
Your unique value: What you bring to teams and organizations
Your success formula: How you can achieve your best performance

Understanding Theme Combinations

The power of CliftonStrengths lies not in individual themes but in how your themes work together. Each person's combination is unique, creating a distinctive talent "DNA."

Common Patterns:

Dominant Domain: If most of your top themes fall in one domain, you're likely drawn to roles that leverage that domain
Theme Partnerships: Certain themes naturally complement each other (e.g., Strategic + Activator, Developer + Individualization)
Balancing Themes: Some themes help balance each other (e.g., Deliberative balancing Activator)

The Full 34 Report

While your Top 5 themes are most important, the Full 34 report shows your complete talent profile:

Signature Themes (1-10): Your strongest talents for development
Supporting Themes (11-20): Talents that support your signature themes
Lesser Themes (21-34): Areas where you have less natural talent

How to Develop Your Strengths

The Strengths Development Process

1. Name It: Understand what each of your themes means 2. Claim It: Accept these themes as part of who you are 3. Aim It: Apply your themes intentionally to achieve goals

Investment Areas for Strength Development

Knowledge: Learn facts and lessons relevant to your themes

Formal education and training
Reading and research
Learning from experts and mentors

Skills: Develop the basic abilities to perform tasks

Practice specific techniques
Learn procedures and methods
Develop competencies through repetition

Complementary Strengths: Partner with others whose strengths complement yours

Build relationships with people who have different theme combinations
Create teams with diverse strengths
Recognize when to delegate or collaborate

Theme-Specific Development Strategies

Each theme has specific development opportunities:

For Achiever: Set measurable goals, track progress, take on projects that require sustained effort

For Strategic: Regularly set aside thinking time, share alternative scenarios, partner with Activators who can help implement ideas

For Empathy: Practice active listening, help resolve conflicts, work in people-focused roles

For Learner: Sign up for courses, keep a learning journal, share new knowledge with others

Applying CliftonStrengths in Different Contexts

Career Development

Choosing Careers: Look for roles that require your natural talents Job Crafting: Modify your current role to better utilize your strengths Performance: Focus development efforts on your areas of greatest talent

Team Development

Team Composition: Build teams with complementary strengths Role Assignment: Match tasks to team members' natural talents Collaboration: Understand how different themes can work together

Leadership

Leadership Style: Lead from your strengths while understanding your blind spots Team Leadership: Recognize and develop the strengths of team members Organizational Culture: Create cultures that value diverse strengths

Personal Relationships

Self-Awareness: Understand your natural reactions and preferences Relationship Building: Appreciate the different strengths others bring Conflict Resolution: Use your strengths constructively in challenging situations

Common Misconceptions About CliftonStrengths

Myth 1: "I don't have talent in my bottom themes"

Reality: Your bottom themes are areas of lesser talent, not absence of talent. You can still be competent in these areas; it just requires more energy.

Myth 2: "I should only work in my top themes"

Reality: You need to use many different talents in most roles. The key is to lead with your strengths while managing around your lesser themes.

Myth 3: "These results will never change"

Reality: While your core talents are stable, how they manifest can change as you develop and mature.

Myth 4: "Some themes are better than others"

Reality: Every theme has value. Success comes from having the right combination of themes for your situation and goals.

Tips for Maximizing Your CliftonStrengths Experience

Before Taking the Assessment

Set aside uninterrupted time
Answer instinctively—go with your first response
Think about yourself in general, not just at work

After Receiving Results

Read the full description of each theme
Reflect on how the themes show up in your life
Share results with people who know you well
Create an action plan for development

Ongoing Development

Regularly review your themes and their applications
Seek feedback on how your themes impact others
Look for new ways to apply your talents
Partner with people who have complementary strengths

The Business Case for Strengths-Based Development

Organizations that implement strengths-based development see significant benefits:

Employee Engagement: Teams that focus on strengths have 12.5% greater productivity

Performance: People who use their strengths daily are 6x more likely to be engaged at work

Sales: Sales teams increase their sales by 10-19% when they receive strengths feedback

Team Performance: Teams that receive strengths interventions have 10-19% increased sales and 20-73% lower turnover

Different Versions of CliftonStrengths

CliftonStrengths 34

Full assessment revealing all 34 themes in rank order
Most comprehensive option for deep self-understanding
Best for coaches, leaders, and those wanting complete insight

CliftonStrengths Top 5

Reveals your five most dominant themes
Most popular version for individuals
Sufficient for most personal and professional development needs

Access Codes and Pricing

Individual assessments available through Gallup
Often included with Gallup Press books
Volume discounts available for organizations

CliftonStrengths vs. Other Assessments

How CliftonStrengths Differs

Focus on Talents: Emphasizes natural recurring patterns rather than learned behaviors

Individualization: Recognizes unique combinations rather than categorizing into types

Strengths-Based: Focuses on development areas rather than weaknesses

Action-Oriented: Designed to drive performance improvement and development

Research Foundation: Based on extensive research into what makes people successful

Taking the Next Step

Getting Started with CliftonStrengths

Take the Assessment: Purchase and complete the CliftonStrengths assessment
Study Your Results: Read the detailed reports and theme descriptions
Reflect and Validate: Consider how the results show up in your life
Create an Action Plan: Identify specific ways to develop your strengths
Share and Discuss: Talk about your results with colleagues, friends, and family

Resources for Continued Learning

Books:

"StrengthsFinder 2.0" by Tom Rath
"Strengths Based Leadership" by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie
"Strengths Based Selling" by Tony Rutigliano and Brian Brim

Online Resources:

Gallup Strengths Center
CliftonStrengths Community
Certified Strengths Coaches

Training Programs:

CliftonStrengths Coaching Certification
Manager/Team Training Programs
Organizational Development Consulting

Conclusion: Unlocking Your Potential Through Strengths

CliftonStrengths offers a powerful framework for understanding your natural talents and developing them into strengths. Unlike approaches that focus on fixing weaknesses, this assessment helps you identify where you have the greatest potential for growth and success.

The key to maximizing your CliftonStrengths experience is not just knowing your themes but actively applying them in your personal and professional life. When you lead with your strengths, you're more likely to be engaged, productive, and successful.

Whether you're an individual looking to understand yourself better, a manager seeking to develop your team, or an organization wanting to create a strengths-based culture, CliftonStrengths provides the insights and tools you need to unlock human potential.

Remember: your talents are your greatest opportunity for strength. Invest in them, develop them, and watch as they transform not just your performance but your entire approach to life and work.

Discover Your CliftonStrengths

Ready to identify your natural talents and develop them into strengths?

Take the CliftonStrengths Assessment - Discover your top talent themes
Compare with Other Assessments - Understand how CliftonStrengths differs
Learn About Team Development - Apply strengths to improve team performance

Start your strengths development journey today and discover the power of leading with your natural talents.