Why I Became a CliftonStrengths Coach (and Why It Might Be Exactly What Your Team Needs!)

May 30

I’ve taken a lot of behavioral and personality assessments in my HR career—DISC, Predictive Index, Enneagram, you name it. But when I took the CliftonStrengths assessment last summer, something clicked. It wasn’t just helpful, it felt like it really spoke to me. Earlier this year I was thinking about new offerings for my business, and what direction I’d like to take working with teams, and it clicked: I should become a certified Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach.

After taking the assessment, I had a deep-dive conversation with my brilliant friend and fellow coach Cara . We explored how some of my top strengths—like Developer, Empathy, Learner and Positivity—could inform my business and help others in powerful ways. The idea of becoming a strengths coach wasn’t just exciting—it lit me up in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Helping people understand who they are at their best? Yes, please.

The coaching course was an intensive virtual, four-day experience, that provided so many insights, exercises, and deep conversations. The cohort of attendees came from all kinds of backgrounds, and we connected deeply through shared learning and real coaching practice. It wasn’t just theory, we coached each other live, got vulnerable, and challenged ourselves to really show up. This training solidified what I already felt in my gut: this is meaningful work.

So, what is Strengths Coaching you may ask?

It starts with the CliftonStrengths assessment, developed by Gallup. The quiz measures 34 themes of talent based on your instinctive responses. It’s not a personality test in the traditional sense, it’s about how you naturally think, feel, and behave.

After taking the assessment, you receive a ranking of all 34 themes, all while we look at the profile as a whole, generally your top 10 themes are your strongest talents. These are the raw materials we can develop into full-blown strengths through self-awareness, intention, and (you guessed it) coaching.

Gallup research shows that people who use their strengths every day are:

6x more likely to be engaged at work
3x more likely to report an excellent quality of life
8% more productive and 15% less likely to quit their job

When you operate in your strengths, you feel more energized, confident, and you. You stop wasting time trying to “fix” your weaknesses and instead double down on what you’re great at. That creates flow, productivity, and better outcomes across the board.

For teams, it’s even more powerful.

Understanding your team’s strengths means you can:

Assign the right people to the right projects
Improve communication and collaboration
Build trust and appreciation for each other’s differences
Identify gaps or opportunities in team dynamics

It’s also important to note that lower-ranked themes aren’t weaknesses, they just may not come as naturally to you. And that’s okay! That’s where teaming up with others becomes part of the magic.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, disconnected from your team, or unsure how to make the most of your team's talents, strength coaching might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

I’m now offering 1:1 Strengths Coaching and will soon be working with teams who want to level up their communication, collaboration, and leadership. If you're curious, stay tuned—I’ll be sharing more about how you can work with me. Whether you're building a team from scratch or leading a group that could use connection, clarity, and confidence—I'm here to help.

If you're curious, stay tuned—I’ll be sharing more about how you can work with me. And if you’ve never taken the CliftonStrengths assessment, do it.! You might just uncover your new favorite tool for personal growth.

#CliftonStrengths #StrengthsBasedLeadership #GallupCertifiedCoach #TeamDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #HRConsulting #WomenInBusiness