Introduction to
Strengths-Based
Development
Introduction to Strengths-Based Development
What would happen if we studied
what is right with people versus
what’s wrong with people?”
This simple question sparked decades of groundbreaking research into what people are like
and how they develop. A person’s most direct path to individual growth and improvement
begins with a primary investment in his or her greatest talents.
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Introduction to Strengths-Based Development
The popular notion is that people can
excel at anything if they try hard enough.
If this notion is true, we must believe that most, if not all, behaviors can be learned.
We have to assume, for example, that a person who has always struggled with numbers can be proficient
enough at math to become an accountant or statistician, if he takes the right classes. And a person
without much natural empathy can infuse empathy into her personality, if she only tries hard enough.
The reality is that a person who has always struggled with numbers is unlikely to be a great accountant
or statistician. And someone without much natural empathy will never be able to comfort a friend in the
warm and sincere way that great empathizers can.
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Introduction to Strengths-Based Development
Every person is one of a kind, with a unique set of talents and strengths.
While we can, and should, try anything we wish to, long-term success
will elude us unless we have a basic talent for the endeavor.
Strengths-based development is unique in its approach and outcome. It is based on the simple notion that a
person’s talents do more than make him or her a unique individual. Our greatest talents — the ways in which we
most naturally think, feel and behave — represent our innate power and potential. When we tap into this source
of wisdom and power, we are more efficient; we act with more confidence, direction and hope; and we are
more productive.
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Introduction to Strengths-Based Development
A strengths-based development
strategy starts by focusing on what people
do well. It then emphasizes and builds
on those strengths to help individuals
become even more productive.
There is nothing wrong with being aware of our weaknesses and managing them,
but our greatest opportunity for success lies in building on our natural talents.
Copyright © 2000, 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Introduction to Strengths-Based Development
Conventional vs. Strengths-Based Development
The conventional approach to development starts with the assumption that if we are already
good at something, we don’t need to worry about it. We simply maintain our strengths and work
on fixing our weaknesses.
The conventional “let’s fix it” approach for development is simple:
1) Identify an area for improvement.
2) Develop an improvement plan.
For this approach to succeed, several additional assumptions must be true. First, we must
believe that most, if not all, behaviors can be learned. We have to assume, for example, that
a person who has always struggled with numbers can become proficient enough at math
to become an accountant or statistician, if he takes the right classes. And a person without
much natural empathy can infuse empathy into her personality, if she only tries hard enough.
The reality is that a person who has always struggled with numbers is unlikely to be a
great accountant or statistician. And someone without much natural empathy will never
be able to comfort a friend in the warm and sincere way that great empathizers can.
Copyright © 2000, 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Introduction to Strengths-Based Development
Conventional approach to personal development
Maintain each person’s strengths and work on fixing weaknesses.
Most, if not all, behaviors can be learned.
Identify Develop an
The best in a role display the same behaviors.
improvement areas improvement plan
Weakness fixing leads to success.
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Introduction to Strengths-Based Development
Weaknesses never develop into
strengths. Strengths develop infinitely.
A person’s talents and strengths are quick, powerful, dynamic and transformative. When people learn how to
consciously seek and invent ways to apply their talents to their goals and tasks, their ability to perform with
excellence increases substantially.
A strengths-based development strategy starts by focusing on what people do well. It then emphasizes and
builds on those strengths to help individuals become even more productive.
The key to personal development is to fully understand how to apply your greatest talents and strengths in your
everyday life. While that means paying some attention to your lesser talents, decades of Gallup research reveal
that your best opportunity for success is to recognize and develop your dominant talents.
Copyright © 2000, 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Introduction to Strengths-Based Development
Strengths-Based approach to personal Development
Focus on each person’s strengths and manage around weaknesses.
Only some behaviors can be learned
(skills and knowledge).
Identify Develop The best in a role deliver the same
talents strengths outcomes using different behaviors.
Weakness fixing prevents failure;
strengths building leads to success.
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Introduction to Strengths-Based Development
But what about weaknesses?
Adopting a strengths-based approach to development does not mean that a person can ignore his or her
weaknesses. The reality is that a person can’t ignore his or her weaknesses.
Instead of trying to become something we are not, we can find support systems or build complementary
partnerships with others to address our weaknesses.
A support system can be as simple as someone with gaps in his or her mathematical talents using a calculator.
In a slightly more involved support system, for example, a person who has difficulty putting faces to names
might create portfolios or contact lists on a smartphone that include not only names but also photos.
There are many ways to manage a weakness, but what Gallup’s research has discovered is that a person’s best
opportunity to grow, develop and succeed is to primarily focus on developing his or her strengths.
Copyright © 2000, 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Introduction to Strengths-Based Development
The best advice is not to focus on your strengths and ignore your weaknesses,
but to focus on your strengths and find ways to manage your weaknesses.
Accordingly, a person’s best
opportunity for excellence is to At its core, strengths-based development primarily focuses
generally follow this approach: on enhancing the areas that hold the greatest potential —
a person’s talents.
1) Identify talents
and weaknesses. 99Everyone has strengths — the unique combinations of
talents, knowledge and skills that help them do what they do
2) Focus most of a person’s
best every day.
development time on talents.
3) Integrate activities of a
99Our greatest talents do more than make us unique individuals.
They also serve as our best opportunities for excellence.
person’s life with his or her
talents and manage areas 99The key to personal development is to focus on your
of weakness. dominant themes — your greatest talents — and find
ways to manage or work around your lesser talents.
Copyright © 2000, 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Introduction to Strengths-Based Development
Employees who receive strengths feedback have
turnover rates that are 14.9% lower than those for
employees who do not receive feedback.
Employees who learn to use their strengths are
7.8% more productive.
For the employees who agree that their manager
focuses on their strengths, active disengagement
falls to an astoundingly low 1%.
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IN TE LLECTUAL P RO P E RT Y STAT E M E N T
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trademark and trade secret protection safeguard the ideas, concepts and recommendations related within this document.
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Gallup®, CliftonStrengths® and each of the 34 CliftonStrengths theme names are trademarks of Gallup, Inc. All other trademarks and
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