0. Lead With Your Strengths
Carol Gillet
Managing Director & Strengths Coach
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
November 2016

1. History of Clifton Strengths Finder
Agenda
Introduction
History of Clifton Strengths Finder
The Clifton StrengthsFinder Concept
Team Dynamics
Resources
Use Gallup’s strengths solutions to be more engaged, more productive, and happier 1

2. Dr. Clifton’s Philosophy
“What would happen if we studied what was right with people versus what’s wrong with people?”
Donald O. Clifton
Psychologist and Business Executive
( )

3. Clifton StrengthsFinder measures the presence of 34 different talent themes.
Clifton StrengthsFinder® is the code that cracks open your awareness of your talents
More than 12 million people in more than 50 countries have received a StrengthsFinder talent assessment. It is available in more than 20 languages.
The conceptual basis of the Clifton StrengthsFinder is grounded in more than four decades of research.
Your personal Clifton StrengthsFinder report will enable you to have greater insight into your talent.
No significant variance between cultures and nationalities. 3

4. Myers-Briggs vs. StrengthsFinder
Each tool measures different dimensions of an individual.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Clifton StrengthsFinder
Measures how an individual experiences and makes sense of his or her surroundings.
Provides insight into recurring patterns of one’s thoughts, feelings and behavior.
The MBTI measures the presence of talent in four areas called “Polarities of Preference.”
The Clifton StrengthsFinder measures the presence of talent in 34 areas called “themes.”
The 4 MBTI Polarity Types
The 34 StrengthsFinder Themes
Extroversion or Introversion
Sensing or Intuition
Feeling or Thinking
Judging or Perceiving
These 34 themes, and 5 “Signature Themes,” reveal powerful areas of talent and potential that will yield the greatest investment value.
The dynamic interactions between these four preferences indicate basic personality types.
Research shows that one’s greatest talents, when productively applied, are that person’s greatest opportunity for the development of a strength — the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance in a specific task.

5. A Strengths-Based Approach is Different
The study of strengths created a new theory about what people are like and how they develop. And, how they perform best.
Maximum productivity can be gained by focusing on strengths and managing weaknesses.
Our greatest talents – the ways in which we most naturally think, feel, and behave – represent our innate power and potential.
To become our best selves, we must increase our understanding of our talents.
Weakness fixing prevents failure; strengths building leads to excellence.
Workgroups that receive strengths-based development achieve an increase in profit of as much as 29%. -- Clifton StrengthsFinder®

6. Why We Focus on Strengths
Employees learn their roles more quickly, produce more and significantly better work, stay with their company longer and are more engaged in organizations that leverage strengths.
Employees who received strengths feedback have 14.9% lower turnover.
People who learn to use their strengths every day have 7.8% higher productivity.
Employees who use their strengths every day are 6 times more likely to be engaged on the job.
Teams that focus on strengths every day have 12.5% greater productivity.
Teams that receive strengths feedback have 8.9% greater profitability.

7. Putting the Investment Into Talent, Leads to Your Strengths
A natural way of thinking, feeling, or behaving
Talent Investment Strengths
Time spent practicing, developing your skills, and building your knowledge base
The ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance

8. 34 StrengthsFinder® Talent Themes
Achiever
Activator
Adaptability
Analytical
Arranger
Belief
Command
Communication
Competition
Connectedness
Consistency
Context
Deliberative
Developer
Discipline
Empathy
Focus
Futuristic
Harmony
Ideation
Includer
Individualization
Input
Intellection
Learner
Maximizer
Positivity
Relator
Responsibility
Restorative
Self-Assurance
Significance
Strategic
Woo

9. Relationship Building
Domains
Executing
Influencing
Relationship Building
Strategic Thinking
Achiever
Arranger
Belief
Consistency
Deliberative
Discipline
Focus
Responsibility
Restorative
Activator
Command
Communication
Competition
Maximizer
Self-Assurance
Significance
Woo
Adaptability
Connectedness
Developer
Empathy
Harmony
Includer
Individualization
Positivity
Relator
Analytical
Context
Futuristic
Ideation
Input
Intellection
Learner
Strategic

10. 34 StrengthsFinder® Talent Themes
Carol Gillet’s Theme Sequence
1. Achiever 2. Woo 3. Communication 4. Positivity 5. Arranger 6. Activator 7. Significance 8. Connectedness 9. Strategic 10. Maximizer 11. Learner 12. Discipline 13. Consistency 14. Individualization 15. Self-Assurance 16. Includer 17. Focus
18. Harmony 19. Input 20. Futuristic 21. Empathy 22. Intellection 23. Competition 24. Responsibility 25. Context 26. Adaptability 27. Command 28. Developer 29. Analytical 30. Belief 31. Restorative 32. Relator 33. Deliberative 34. Ideation
Supporting Strengths
(11-28)
Signature Strengths
(1-10)
Supporting Strengths
(11-28)
Lesser Strengths
(29-34)

11. Balconies and Basements: Talent Highs and Lows
When a talent is mistakenly devalued, it is dismissed as a weakness.
The balcony shines through when a strength is optimized, resulting in a productive, satisfying result.
The Basement represents the strength in an over-used or vulnerable manner. 
Achiever
Command
Harmony
Works tirelessly, committed, high stamina, keeps things moving forward, are “pacesetters for their teams.
Charismatic, willing to take charge, direct, inspirational, clear.
Great negotiator, builds consensus, grasps both sides of a situation, excellent facilitator.
Hard on self, finds identity only through achievement, can’t say “no,” too concentrated on work.
Dominating, inflexible , rude, abrupt, “bossy.”
Conflict averse (sometimes to an extreme), weak, hesitant.
“Simply put, if you consistently display the qualities in the balcony and avoid the basement, you are on the right path to capitalizing on your greatest talents.” – Clifton StrengthsFinder®

12. Theme Dynamics: The Interplay of StrengthsFinder Themes
The integration of themes further defines our unique ways of thinking, feeling and behaving.
“Verbalizing and interacting about goals helps me clarify my intentions, concentrate my efforts and keep others on track.”
Communication/ Focus
“It is easy for me to talk, but I always do so with caution and care.  I want to be sure my words help, not hinder.”
Communication/Deliberative
“My deep appreciation of the past is the breeding ground for my vision of tomorrow, the next chapter in history.”
Futuristic/Context
“My core values play a significant role in shaping my vision for the future and in giving me the passion to pursue it.”
Futuristic/Belief
No theme stands alone. We do not operate each talent individually in a vacuum. Rather, there is a unique interplay among a person’s talents that creates a distinct outcome when these talents come together.

13. There’s Only One of You!
The chances that you will meet someone with your same Top 5, regardless of order. The chances that you will meet someone with your same Top 5, in the same order.
1 in 275,000 1 in 33 million Similar to a fingerprint, the sequence of your themes is unique to you.

14. Myth Busters! StrengthsFinder Edition
Truth
My top 5 strengths are fully developed.
I should avoid tasks that require my lesser talents.
My strengths don’t fit my job or company culture.
My strengths need to be like or similar to my manager’s strengths.
To be a leader you must have certain strengths.
Some strengths are better than others.
My top 5 talents need development to become strengths.
StrengthsFinder is not an excuse to avoid things you don’t like to do.
Strengths don’t speak to personality, competency, or ability. My competence can appear through many different themes.
Similar strengths on a team doesn’t guarantee success.
There are no strengths that make a better leader.
No strengths are better than others.

15. 5. People need one another.
An Individual’s Strengths Journey: Five Guiding Principals
1. Themes are neutral.
2. Themes are not labels.
3. Lead with positive intent.
4. Differences are advantages.
5. People need one another.

16. Theme Contrasts Achiever Activator Command Empathy
Examining subtle similarities and differences among the 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder themes.
Achiever
Activator
“I want to get it done”
“I want to get it started”
Command
Empathy
“People are drawn to her because they know what she thinks.”
“People are drawn to him because they know how he feels.”
“Aside from key decision-making points, a balance of strengths facilitates the smooth day-to-day operation of the team.
– Clifton StrengthsFinder®

17. Team Strengths Exercises
“The best partnerships happen when you and someone who has strengths that complement yours join forces and focus on a single goal.” Gallup
You Get the Best of Me
Different Path, Same Destination
Love, Crazy, Envy

18. Strengths-Based Partnerships
One Team’s Matrix
“Before you can forge a successful alliance, you must understand what you bring to the combination, and equally important, what you don't.”
– Clifton StrengthsFinder®

19. Resources Gallup Information Adrienne_stcyr@gallup.com 1-949-474-2753
StrengthsFinder Website
Bookstores
StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup Press, 2007 
“The #1 Wall Street Journal and #1 BusinessWeek bestseller that introduced the StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment with features that include a personalized Strengths Insight Report, an Action- Planning Guide, and a web-based Strengths Community.” 
Carol Gillet

20. Thank you