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Learn How to Lead Using Your CliftonStrengths

It can be difficult to understand every nuance of the 34 CliftonStrengths themes. Looking at them through the lens of the four domains of leadership strength makes it easier.

Learn how this simple way of categorizing your CliftonStrengths can help you succeed when you join, create or lead a team.

What Are the Four Domains of CliftonStrengths?

They're the natural way to group CliftonStrengths based on how the themes help people work together to accomplish goals.

First introduced in the bestseller Strengths Based Leadership, the four domains of CliftonStrengths are:

At their core, teamwork and collaboration are all about partnerships.

You can use the domains of CliftonStrengths to better understand your partners -- What are they great at? What am I great at? Where do we both struggle? -- and know how to best work with them.

This knowledge helps set your partnerships up for success.

Learn more about each domain and how to use them to improve your partnerships and performance.

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What Is the Executing Domain of CliftonStrengths?

These themes answer the question "How do you make things happen?" They may help you turn ideas into reality.

When teams need to implement a solution, they look to people with Executing themes who will work tirelessly to accomplish the goal.

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What Is the Influencing Domain of CliftonStrengths?

These themes answer the question "How do you influence others?" They may help you take charge, speak up and make sure others are heard.

When teams need to sell their ideas inside and outside the organization, they turn to people with Influencing themes to convince others.

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What Is the Relationship Building Domain of CliftonStrengths?

These themes answer the question "How do you build and nurture strong relationships?" They may help you hold a team together.

When teams need to be greater than the sum of their parts, they turn to people with Relationship Building themes to strengthen their bonds.

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What Is the Strategic Thinking Domain of CliftonStrengths?

These themes answer the question "How do you absorb, think about and analyze information and situations?" They may help you make better decisions and create better outcomes.

When teams need to focus on what could be, they turn to people with Strategic Thinking themes to stretch the team's thinking for the future.

How to Understand the Four Domains of CliftonStrengths

The CliftonStrengths domains represent a sort of default mode that individuals, partnerships and full teams naturally lean on to meet their goals and achieve success.

Graphic of the four domains and an example of a chart with all 34 themes divided by domains

The CliftonStrengths domains are a shortcut for learning how to make the most out of the 34 CliftonStrengths themes.

It can be difficult to fully understand 34 different themes. The four domains can help simplify the process.

The CliftonStrengths domains essentially answer the question, "How do I make sense of the world on a greater scale than just my individual CliftonStrengths themes?"

People tend to think about what they don't do well, or what weaknesses they need to work on. The domains can help people understand where they're most powerful, and how to use that power to make their greatest contribution.

For example, someone strong in the Executing domain knows they can be counted on to get things done. They can use that knowledge to better understand how to collaborate with others and how to be a complementary partner to people who aren't strong in the Executing domain.

Create Stronger Partnerships and Greater Team Success Using the CliftonStrengths Domains

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Understand Where Your Team Is Strongest

Purchase the CliftonStrengths 34 assessment for your team to learn how strong each of the domains is for each person.

Translate That Strength Into Greater Performance

Shop the tools and materials proven to help you and your team use the domains to accomplish your goals.