The Personality Playbook: Leveraging Strengths-Based Leadership to Build Better Teams
How CliftonStrengths helped me go from workplace frustration to unstoppable collaboration.
The Conflict That Changed My Perspective
I once worked with a colleague, Kelin Queen, who had a swear jar on her desk. If you know me, you know that I was dropping pennies in that jar daily.
At the time, we were working on a database revitalization project, and we butted heads constantly. I wanted to move fast and break things. She kept coming up with reasons why we couldn’t. To me, she was slowing everything down. To her, I was reckless.
And then we took the CliftonStrengths assessment.
When I saw her results, everything clicked. Belief and Responsibility were two of her top strengths. That meant she saw herself as a steward of our system—she believed deeply in handling it with thought and care. She wasn’t being difficult; she was acting from a place of integrity.
The second I understood that, everything changed.
I learned to ask why instead of getting frustrated. I explained my ideas differently—focusing not just on efficiency, but on how my changes would improve both user experience and data accuracy. Once we aligned on shared goals and values, we became an unstoppable team.
Why Strengths-Based Leadership Works
Too often, workplace conflict is framed as a battle of personalities when, in reality, it’s a clash of strengths. CliftonStrengths and other assessments don’t just give teams a shared language for understanding each other—they help people see what motivates their colleagues.
Here’s how leaders can use strengths-based leadership to build better teams:
Swap Judgment for Curiosity
Instead of assuming someone is being difficult, ask: What strength might be driving this behavior?
If someone is resisting change, they might not be stubborn—they might be Analytical and need more data.
Align on Shared Goals
People aren’t against you—they’re for something. Figure out what that is.
When I reframed my conversations with Kelin around stewardship and responsibility, we moved from opposition to collaboration.
Speak to Their Strengths, Not Yours
If you’re highly Influential, but you’re working with a Deliberative thinker, pushing for quick action will backfire.
If you thrive in Strategic Thinking, but you’re leading an Executing-heavy team, give them clear next steps instead of just big ideas.
The Bottom Line
Your team isn’t a problem to be solved—it’s a puzzle to be understood. If you’re leading people (or working alongside them), don’t assume their way of thinking is wrong just because it’s different.
Lean into strengths, and you’ll build teams that don’t just work together, but win together.
