high performance is achieved when people are playing at the intersection of what they’re great at and what

they love to do,

Strengths-based psychology tells us that understanding, applying and investing in your strengths provides you
with your best opportunities for achieving high performance and success.

he conventional approach to development says that we should keep doing what we’re already doing well and put
our primary focus on becoming better at what we aren't naturally good at. This is a deficit model—you find what’s
missing and try to add it to your arsenal. Those of you that would have looked for opportunities for Gordon to
develop his strategic planning skills approached the decision using a conventional approach.

The strengths-based approach says that we should put our primary focus on developing our strengths (get better
at what we’re already good at) and manage our weaknesses to reduce the impact they have on our success. This
model is not about what’s missing, but about getting the most out of what’s already there. Those of you that
would have looked for opportunities for Gordon to grow his coaching skills approached the decision from a
strengths-based model.

It also defines weakness in a specific way: a weakness is a shortage or a misapplication of talent, skill, or
knowledge that causes problems for you or others.

A strengths-based model manages weaknesses instead of trying to fix them and looks for ways to address a
weakness by leveraging or reframing strengths, as shown in the example here.

3.4 What is Talent?

Within the context of StrengthsFinder, talent is defined as a naturally recurring pattern of thought, feeling or
behavior that can be productively applied. Our dominant talents determine how we approach our day-to-day
lives, both personally and professionally. They influence how we make things happen, how we build and nurture
relationships, how we influence others, and how we absorb and think about information.

As our natural ways of thinking, feeling and behaving, talents are about how we do things, not about what we can
do.

Talents are then developed into strengths by investing in them. That investment includes time spent practicing
them, building a knowledge base and developing skills. While talents are the innate ways that we are wired, skills
are capabilities that we can learn. Skills are the specific things that we do in our role to produce results.

A strength, then, is the consistent application of our talent, augmented by supporting skills, to deliver high
performance. A strength is born from deliberate application of a talent to meet a business need.
GALLUP :

1. Learner

You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes
and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The
process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the
steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early
efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered—this is the
process that entices you. Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning experiences—yoga or
piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are
asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter
in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. This Learner theme does not necessarily
mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the respect that
accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome of the learning is less significant than
the “getting there.”

2. Analytical

Your Analytical theme challenges other people: “Prove it. Show me why what you are claiming is true.” In
the face of this kind of questioning some will find that their brilliant theories wither and die. For you, this
is precisely the point. You do not necessarily want to destroy other people’s ideas, but you do insist that
their theories be sound. You see yourself as objective and dispassionate. You like data because they are
value free. They have no agenda. Armed with these data, you search for patterns and connections. You
want to understand how certain patterns affect one another. How do they combine? What is their
outcome? Does this outcome fit with the theory being offered or the situation being confronted? These
are your questions. You peel the layers back until, gradually, the root cause or causes are revealed. Others
see you as logical and rigorous. Over time they will come to you in order to expose someone’s “wishful
thinking” or “clumsy thinking” to your refining mind. It is hoped that your analysis is never delivered too
harshly. Otherwise, others may avoid you when that “wishful thinking” is their own.

3. Input

You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information—words, facts, books, and
quotations—or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or
sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of
mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety
and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add
more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel
artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time
of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they
might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don’t feel comfortable throwing
anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps your
mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable.

4. Intellection

You like to think. You like mental activity. You like exercising the “muscles” of your brain, stretching them
in multiple directions. This need for mental activity may be focused; for example, you may be trying to
solve a problem or develop an idea or understand another person’s feelings. The exact focus will depend
on your other strengths. On the other hand, this mental activity may very well lack focus. The theme of
 Intellection does not dictate what you are thinking about; it simply describes that you like to think. You
are the kind of person who enjoys your time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. You
are introspective. In a sense you are your own best companion, as you pose yourself questions and try out
answers on yourself to see how they sound. This introspection may lead you to a slight sense of
discontent as you compare what you are actually doing with all the thoughts and ideas that your mind
conceives. Or this introspection may tend toward more pragmatic matters such as the events of the day
or a conversation that you plan to have later. Wherever it leads you, this mental hum is one of the
constants of your life.

5. Individualization

Your Individualization theme leads you to be intrigued by the unique qualities of each person. You are
impatient with generalizations or “types” because you don’t want to obscure what is special and distinct
about each person. Instead, you focus on the differences between individuals. You instinctively observe
each person’s style, each person’s motivation, how each thinks, and how each builds relationships. You
hear the one-of-a-kind stories in each person’s life. This theme explains why you pick your friends just the
right birthday gift, why you know that one person prefers praise in public and another detests it, and why
you tailor your teaching style to accommodate one person’s need to be shown and another’s desire to
“figure it out as I go.” Because you are such a keen observer of other people’s strengths, you can draw out
the best in each person. This Individualization theme also helps you build productive teams. While some
search around for the perfect team “structure” or “process,” you know instinctively that the secret to
great teams is casting by individual strengths so that everyone can do a lot of what they do well.

6. Connectedness

Things happen for a reason. You are sure of it. You are sure of it because in your soul you know that we
are all connected. Yes, we are individuals, responsible for our own judgments and in possession of our
own free will, but nonetheless we are part of something larger. Some may call it the collective
unconscious. Others may label it spirit or life force. But whatever your word of choice, you gain
confidence from knowing that we are not isolated from one another or from the earth and the life on it.
This feeling of Connectedness implies certain responsibilities. If we are all part of a larger picture, then we
must not harm others because we will be harming ourselves. We must not exploit because we will be
exploiting ourselves. Your awareness of these responsibilities creates your value system. You are
considerate, caring, and accepting. Certain of the unity of humankind, you are a bridge builder for people
of different cultures. Sensitive to the invisible hand, you can give others comfort that there is a purpose
beyond our humdrum lives. The exact articles of your faith will depend on your upbringing and your
culture, but your faith is strong. It sustains you and your close friends in the face of life’s mysteries.

7. Maximizer

Excellence, not average, is your measure. Taking something from below average to slightly above average
takes a great deal of effort and in your opinion is not very rewarding. Transforming something strong into
something superb takes just as much effort but is much more thrilling. Strengths, whether yours or
someone else’s, fascinate you. Like a diver after pearls, you search them out, watching for the telltale
signs of a strength. A glimpse of untutored excellence, rapid learning, a skill mastered without recourse to
steps—all these are clues that a strength may be in play. And having found a strength, you feel compelled
to nurture it, refine it, and stretch it toward excellence. You polish the pearl until it shines. This natural
sorting of strengths means that others see you as discriminating. You choose to spend time with people
who appreciate your particular strengths. Likewise, you are attracted to others who seem to have found
and cultivated their own strengths. You tend to avoid those who want to fix you and make you well
rounded. You don’t want to spend your life bemoaning what you lack. Rather, you want to capitalize on
 the gifts with which you are blessed. It’s more fun. It’s more productive. And, counterintuitively, it is more
demanding.

8. Context

You look back. You look back because that is where the answers lie. You look back to understand the
present. From your vantage point the present is unstable, a confusing clamor of competing voices. It is
only by casting your mind back to an earlier time, a time when the plans were being drawn up, that the
present regains its stability. The earlier time was a simpler time. It was a time of blueprints. As you look
back, you begin to see these blueprints emerge. You realize what the initial intentions were. These
blueprints or intentions have since become so embellished that they are almost unrecognizable, but now
this Context theme reveals them again. This understanding brings you confidence. No longer disoriented,
you make better decisions because you sense the underlying structure. You become a better partner
because you understand how your colleagues came to be who they are. And counterintuitively you
become wiser about the future because you saw its seeds being sown in the past. Faced with new people
and new situations, it will take you a little time to orient yourself, but you must give yourself this time.
You must discipline yourself to ask the questions and allow the blueprints to emerge because no matter
what the situation, if you haven’t seen the blueprints, you will have less confidence in your decisions.

9. Deliberative

You are careful. You are vigilant. You are a private person. You know that the world is an unpredictable
place. Everything may seem in order, but beneath the surface you sense the many risks. Rather than
denying these risks, you draw each one out into the open. Then each risk can be identified, assessed, and
ultimately reduced. Thus, you are a fairly serious person who approaches life with a certain reserve. For
example, you like to plan ahead so as to anticipate what might go wrong. You select your friends
cautiously and keep your own counsel when the conversation turns to personal matters. You are careful
not to give too much praise and recognition, lest it be misconstrued. If some people don’t like you
because you are not as effusive as others, then so be it. For you, life is not a popularity contest. Life is
something of a minefield. Others can run through it recklessly if they so choose, but you take a different
approach. You identify the dangers, weigh their relative impact, and then place your feet deliberately. You
walk with care.

10. Positivity

You are generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation.
Some call you lighthearted. Others just wish that their glass were as full as yours seems to be. But either
way, people want to be around you. Their world looks better around you because your enthusiasm is
contagious. Lacking your energy and optimism, some find their world drab with repetition or, worse,
heavy with pressure. You seem to find a way to lighten their spirit. You inject drama into every project.
You celebrate every achievement. You find ways to make everything more exciting and more vital. Some
cynics may reject your energy, but you are rarely dragged down. Your Positivity won’t allow it. Somehow
you can’t quite escape your conviction that it is good to be alive, that work can be fun, and that no matter
what the setbacks, one must never lose one’s sense of humor.