Over the past few months in our monthly newsletter, we’ve introduced you to four distinct Clifton Strengths talents: Ideation, Developer, Command, and Focus. Each one brings something valuable to the table. But here’s the real insight—CliftonStrengths successful teams are built when these talents work together, not alone.
The Clifton Strengths framework identifies 34 talent themes that describe how people naturally think, feel, and behave. The core principle? Your greatest potential comes from leveraging your dominant strengths rather than “fixing” perceived weaknesses. In the workplace, this means using CliftonStrengths to build successful teams where different talents complement each other, creating something far more powerful than any individual could achieve alone.
Four Talents, One Recipe
Think of it like a recipe. You need different ingredients to create something exceptional.
Ideation brings the vision.
These are your blue-sky thinkers who see possibilities others miss and aren’t afraid to challenge “the way we’ve always done it.” They open minds to competitive advantages and fresh approaches.
Developer spots potential and nurtures it.
They’re patient champions of growth who get genuinely excited by even subtle signs of progress. They transform concepts into reality through careful, intentional development.
Command cuts through the chaos with decisive direction.
When things get messy or uncertain, they step forward with clarity and focus. They’re comfortable in the driver’s seat and willing to make the tough calls that move initiatives forward.
Focus keeps everyone on track.
These are your goal-oriented teammates who filter distractions and ensure energy goes toward what matters most. They bring laser-sharp direction when others might wander down interesting side paths.
Managing Natural Tensions
Of course, these strengths don’t always play nicely together without intention. Ideation’s “what if we tried this?” approach can frustrate Focus’s “let’s stay on the path we agreed to.” Command’s decisive action might steamroll Developer’s careful nurturing process. The key is recognizing these natural tensions are not problems to solve—they are dynamics to manage. When your Ideator and your Focus person are debating, that’s not conflict. That’s balance in action.
Building Your Team Intentionally
The first step to intentionally leveraging individual talents into team strengths is to map your current team’s dominant strengths. Where do you have natural clustering? If you are heavy on Command and Focus but light on Ideation, you might execute flawlessly but miss innovative opportunities. Too much Developer without enough Focus, and projects might drift without clear endpoints.
When hiring or building project teams, look for complementary strengths rather than carbon copies of your top performers. And critically, create space for different strengths to contribute. Let your Ideators dream in brainstorming sessions before your Focus folks narrow to priorities. Give your Developers time to mentor before your Command leaders push for rapid decisions.
The Association Advantage
Associations need balanced strengths even more because you are navigating member engagement challenges, technology implementations and adoption, evolving revenue models, and organizational change—often simultaneously with lean teams. Having diverse strengths means you can innovate on engagement strategies (Ideation), nurture volunteer leaders effectively (Developer), make tough prioritization calls (Command), and execute strategic plans without mission creep (Focus).
The magic isn’t in having the “right” strengths. It’s in recognizing what each person naturally brings and creating space for those diverse talents to work together.
So take a look at your team. What’s your recipe? And more importantly: What flavors might be missing?
Want to explore your team’s strengths profile? We’d love to talk about how understanding your unique mix can transform your approach to challenges.