I first completed my CliftonStrengths assessment back in 2019 as part of a leadership masterclass through Business Chicks.
Coming from a HR and recruitment background I was more than familiar with the range of personality / aptitude / capability tools out there. But this? This was different. What I didn’t expect was how accurately the report reflected not just how I work – but how I think, decide, and relate to people when the stakes are high. After I finished searching my office for the spy cameras and running all the tin foil hat conspiracies about how it knew so much about me, I had a lightbulb moment. It was giving me a language. Language for why certain work energised me, why some situations drained me, and why I kept seeing the same patterns play out in my career.
My talent DNA. We’re all born with it and like all talents we can strengthen it by putting in some work. It’s why some people can build Ikea without instructions, why others need to understand the “why” before “doing” and why we all approach work and relationships in different ways.
My top 10 CliftonStrengths
My top 10 strengths are:
- Discipline
- Individualisation
- Learner
- Relator
- Maximiser
- Responsibility
- Input
- Arranger
- Connectedness
- Strategic
On paper, it’s a list.
In practice, it’s a map.
Together, these strengths explain why my work has sits at the intersection of organisational development, culture, leadership, and compliance – and why I’m most effective when I’m helping organisations make sense of complexity, not just tick boxes.
What I learned about myself at a deeper level
The biggest insight from my report wasn’t “what I’m good at.”
It was understanding how my strengths interact.
I lead with relationships, but I don’t operate loosely.
I’m deeply people-focused, but I need structure.
I care about individuals, but I think in systems.
That combination matters.
Individualisation, Relator and Connectedness mean I naturally tune into how people experience work – what motivates them, what shuts them down, what they don’t say out loud. I don’t treat people as interchangeable. I notice nuance.
Discipline, Responsibility and Arranger mean that insight doesn’t stay abstract. It becomes structure. Processes. Clear expectations. Follow-through. This is where empathy turns into something practical.
Learner, Input and Strategic explain why I’m constantly absorbing information – legislation, research, psychology, patterns across industries – and then translating it into something usable. I don’t just want to know what’s happening. I want to understand why, and what needs to change next.
The report helped me see that this isn’t accidental. It’s how I’m wired.
How my strengths show up in my work with clients
This is where CliftonStrengths really earns its keep.
In client work, my strengths show up as:
• the ability to read the room quickly
• asking questions that surface the real issue, not just the presenting one
• designing frameworks that fit the organisation, not a generic model
• holding leaders accountable without stripping dignity
• bringing order to messy, high-risk situations without escalating emotion
It’s also helped me understand my own blind spots.
For example, Responsibility and Discipline mean I can over-carry. I’ll step in to stabilise things before others are ready to step up. CliftonStrengths gave me language for that pattern – and permission to design boundaries around it.
Maximiser means I have high standards. That’s an asset in compliance and culture work, but only when I bring people along with me rather than assuming they can see what I see.
This level of self-awareness has made me a better consultant, not because I changed who I am – but because I became more intentional about how I use my strengths.
Why CliftonStrengths is different
CliftonStrengths isn’t a personality test.
It’s a strengths assessment grounded in decades of research by Gallup, focused on identifying how people naturally think, feel, and behave at their best.
What often surprises people is just how individual the results are.
There is:
• a 1 in 250,000 chance of two people having the same top five strengths in the same order
• a 1 in 34 million chance of two people having the same top five strengths with the same descriptions
That’s because the assessment doesn’t just rank themes. It analyses intensity, pattern, and interaction.
Your report isn’t a generic profile. It’s written for you.
That’s also why two people with the same strength can use it very differently – and why coaching matters.
Why I undertook CliftonStrengths coaching
In October 2024, I completed formal CliftonStrengths coaching training.
Not because I needed another credential – but because I wanted to deepen how I use this tool with clients.
Reading your report is one thing.
Understanding how your strengths show up under pressure, in leadership, in conflict, or in decision-making is another.
Coaching helps you:
• recognise when a strength is helping you – and when it’s getting in the way
• understand your default responses under stress
• leverage what’s already strong instead of trying to “fix” yourself
• apply your strengths intentionally in your role, not theoretically
In my experience, this is where the real value sits. Especially for leaders, business owners, and professionals who already perform well – but want more clarity, sustainability, and impact.
Why this matters for work
Work is where most people spend a significant portion of their energy.
When your role aligns with your strengths:
• decision-making feels clearer
• energy is more sustainable
• leadership becomes more authentic
• performance improves without burnout
When it doesn’t, no amount of effort fixes the misalignment.
CliftonStrengths gives you a language for that alignment — and coaching helps you do something with it.
If you’re curious about your own strengths
If you’re reading this and wondering what your report might reveal, that curiosity is usually the signal.
I offer CliftonStrengths reports and 1:1 coaching to help you understand:
• how you’re wired
• how your strengths show up at work
• where you may be over-using them
• and how to leverage them more intentionally in your role
This isn’t about becoming someone else.
It’s about doing your work in a way that makes sense for who you already are.
If that’s something you’d like to explore, you can book your CliftonStrengths report and coaching session via The People & Culture Office.
And if nothing else, let this be the takeaway:
Self-awareness isn’t a soft skill.
It’s a leadership capability.
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