Five Key Strategies for Leaders to Build Strong Teams and Drive Performance

The Clifton Strengths development methodology, developed by Gallup, offers leaders a transformative approach to unlocking individual and team potential. By emphasizing the power of strengths-based coaching, leaders can foster a culture of trust, engagement, and performance excellence.

Research indicates that strengths-based organisations experience higher employee engagement, lower turnover rates, and increased profitability.

Let’s explore how leaders can apply this methodology effectively while building strong relationships within their teams and driving both business and personal growth.

Tip 1: Identify and Celebrate Individual Strengths

The foundation of Clifton Strengths lies in understanding and leveraging individual talents. Once team members complete the Clifton Strengths assessment and identify their top strengths, in our workshops we use the “Name It, Claim It and Aim It” framework to explore and connect with their strengths profile. This step is critical to understanding and recognising how their unique talents determine how they naturally think, feel and behave.

According to Gallup’s research, employees who use their strengths daily are six times more likely to be engaged in their work. As a leader, we suggest you create opportunities for team members to apply their strengths in meaningful ways by aligning tasks with individual talents to facilitate optimal performance.

Tip 2: Foster Strengths-Based Conversations

Strengths-based coaching requires open dialogue about what each person brings to the table. Regular one-on-one conversations allow leaders to explore how team members perceive their strengths and how they can be utilized effectively. We know leaders may find this challenging, however using strengths-based language in feedback and discussions, focusing on areas where individuals excel rather than their weaknesses, provides an objective framework to guide the conversation.

Studies highlight that strengths-focused feedback creates an environment where employees feel valued and understood, which in turn, increases employee engagement and productivity.

Tip 3: Design Roles Around Strengths

One of the key insights from Clifton Strengths is that people thrive when their roles align with their natural abilities. As a leader, assess whether your team’s roles match their strengths.

For instance, a team member strong in “Strategic” might excel at designing long-term plans, while someone with “Empathy” could shine in client relations. Gallup research shows that strengths-oriented workplaces improve performance metrics by up to 10%. By tailoring roles to individual strengths, leaders can reduce frustration and enhance job satisfaction.

Tip 4: Build Complementary Teams

Effective teams are composed of individuals with diverse yet complementary strengths. Leaders should aim to build teams where strengths balance each other, fostering collaboration rather than competition. Clifton Strengths advocates for a “strengths matrix” approach, where team dynamics are mapped in a Team Grid to show coverage across different domains, such as execution, relationship building, influencing, and strategic thinking.

Data indicates that teams leveraging diverse strengths are more innovative and achieve higher levels of collective performance.

Tip 5: Create a Strengths-Based Culture

Successful leaders embed strengths-based practices into the organisational culture. This involves consistent reinforcement of the value of strengths, ongoing training, and accountability for using strengths effectively.

Encourage team members to share stories where they intentionally applied their strengths to achieve a successful outcome. Having done it once and experienced the process, they are more likely to do it again. Research underscores the importance of a supportive culture, with organisations embracing strengths reporting up to 29% higher profit per employee.

Applying Clifton Strengths methodology in leadership practice is not merely about identifying talents—it’s about cultivating a mindset where strengths are the cornerstone of team performance and development. By identifying individual strengths, fostering open communication, aligning roles, building complementary teams, and embedding strengths into the culture, leaders can unlock unparalleled potential in their teams.

To learn more about how we can help you build team performance using strengths, book a Discovery Call today.