The CliftonStrengths assessment, developed by Dr. Don Clifton and distributed by Gallup, is grounded in decades of research on human talent and potential. In the 1990s, Gallup conducted thousands of semi-structured interviews to identify innate talents that could be developed into strengths and used to enhance personal, academic, and professional success. Under Clifton’s leadership, Gallup created the CliftonStrengths assessment—an online tool that can be completed in under an hour—to provide individuals with a personalized strengths profile.

Benefits of CliftonStrengths

CliftonStrengths empowers students, faculty, and staff to better understand themselves and others by identifying their natural talents and learning how to intentionally develop them into strengths. 

• Increased self-awareness and clarity about personal contributions.
• Stronger relationships with peers, faculty, and team members.
• Improved performance in academics, work, and family life.
• Positive mindset shift—focus on what’s right, not what’s wrong.
• Higher productivity with greater stamina and satisfaction.
• Improved emotional regulation and responsiveness to stress.
• Stronger critical thinking about influencing factors and outcomes.
• Better decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• More efficient resource management and organization.
• Alignment of personal values with daily goals and actions.

Research

While traditional psychology often focused on addressing deficits, CliftonStrengths is grounded in positive psychology—a strengths-based approach that highlights what’s right with people rather than what’s wrong with them.

Talent × Investment = Strength

Gallup’s formula captures the approach:

• Talent: A natural way of thinking, feeling, or behaving
• Investment: Time spent practicing and learning
• Strength: The ability to deliver consistent, near-perfect performance

Results

CliftonStrengths has strong test-retest reliability, supporting long-term stability of results. Students and professionals who use their strengths report:

• 6x higher engagement at work
• 3x higher quality of life
• Greater confidence, energy, happiness, and goal achievement
• Less stress, worry, anger, and physical pain

For more information, contact strengths@uh.edu.