Jim Collison:
[0:00] Welcome to Season 4 of The CliftonStrengths Podcast, where we'll dive deep into how CliftonStrengths themes build powerful partnerships and help teams thrive. I'm Jim Collison, Gallup's CliftonStrengths Community Manager.
Jillian White:
[0:10] And I'm Jillian White, Gallup's Subject Matter Expert on Culture and Leadership and our Lead Subject Matter Expert for CliftonStrengths.
Jim Collison:
[0:15] Today's theme is Significance. We'll explore what this theme brings, what it needs and how it fosters collaboration. Jillian, welcome.
Jillian White:
[0:23] Thank you, Jim. Excited to get into this.
Jim Collison:
[0:25] Great to have you here today. Let's go back a little bit, though. Let's do a little bit of a review. What is Significance?
Jillian White:
[0:32] Yeah. At the heart of someone who has that Significance talent is that desire to have a significant impact. These are typically people who, they thrive in the spotlight. They love doing work that can be seen as credible, professional, successful. There's a striving to this strength. These are oftentimes people who aren't afraid to think big, even make audacious claims. They strive for something more. They want to do something that leaves a strong legacy so that that significant impact is oftentimes seen through something like legacy. It's an Influencing strength. So because it's oftentimes reaching further, it can challenge others to reach further with them and to have that impact. It can oftentimes also shine the spotlight on other people as well and give a view to their impactful and influential work. So the image I like to use with this, you've been hearing me use a little bit of it already, but is a spotlight. I think these are people who, they thrive in the spotlight, and in its most mature form, it's using that spotlight to actually shine a light on where something can have a significant impact or where others are having a significant impact.
Jim Collison:
[1:44] Yeah, I always talk about my Maximizer playing this kind of role. I have, I have Significance 13, so it's a little bit down. But that impact of doing big things, right, of big events or big, big progress or going, going, not just the average … going, you know, going all out to get there. You have, I think you got a great example. I always ask you this question from the work that you do. Can you give an example? I think you got a good one. What's your example?
Jillian White:
[2:14] I'm going to go back a little ways and use one of our classics on this one. This is my favorite one to talk about with Significance. But who had this strong that many of us know about? We're talking about Clifton StrengthsFinder. The founder, the original researcher behind Clifton StrengthsFinder was Don Clifton, father of positive psychology. And Don actually had Significance as his No. 1 strength. I love being able to go back and look at his story through the lens of Significance, because think about the context of where he was leading. He was a professor in psychology at the University of Nebraska. And he could, you know, he's operating in this world where, first of all, he makes a big, bold, audacious claim, because the field of psychology was all about what's wrong with people. And he dares to say, what if I did research that gave a language to actually looking at what's right with people? So that started the StrengthsFinder research. And then as he came to understand strengths of people and have an assessment to look at this, he made a bold claim to say, you know what, I'm not going to just like publish an article about this and present at a psychology conference on this. I think this needs to actually go to people to make a difference in their lives. And he dreamed of, from what I've heard, he dreamed of a world where what if a million people actually knew what their strengths were? What impact would that have? And Jim, you and I know, how many do we have in our database now? Thirty-five million people that now know their strengths. So to me, that is the ripple effect of somebody who had Significance and said, wait, wait, wait, I don't want this to just be an article. I want this to be something that I'm going to dream big, to actually have a big, bold vision and do something significant that leaves a legacy through this work.
Jim Collison:
[3:57] Yeah. And 35 is great. 50 will be even better. And 100 will be incredible. Right? That's Significance.
Jillian White:
[4:07] You're maximizing on Don's Significance dream.
Jim Collison:
[4:10] Yeah, no. But it has been fun to be a part of that. I think when I started doing the podcast here with Jeremy, we were at seven. And so it goes seven to 35. That's it. That's, you know, we've seen that go. So, but in the context of, of 8 billion people on the planet, we still have a ways to go. So there's, there's some, there's still some work to be done.
Jillian White:
[4:30] I love it. Keep us reaching.
Jim Collison:
[4:32] We have a new section of Communications tab, or, I'm sorry, Connections tab that's available in Gallup Access. It used to be called Community. It gives you the ability to share your results with someone else. And then in that section, there's a, you can, when you compare them to each other, there's an "I Bring" and" I Need" A great exercise to go through with each other. We're going to kind of practice that a little bit here as we, as, you know, as we think about Significance. Jillian, what does it bring?
Jillian White:
[4:58] Yeah, I think there's, there's a couple things it brings. First of all, it does bring independence. It is that striving strength. It doesn't need a lot of micromanaging from someone else. It naturally reaches and strives and wants to do something significant. So it brings that independence. If I'm partnering with somebody who has that, I can expect that to show up. I think it brings importance. It is going to shine a spotlight. It wants to show up professional, credible, successful. It likes to associate with other people who are in that same light. I think about, Jim, you and I have a colleague who has the strength, who is president of Special Olympics Nebraska. And I always think like, what a great example of someone who took the strength and used it to shine a spotlight on something she was really passionate about. And so that ability to shine a spotlight on important work or the work of others around you can be really powerful. And there is a determination to make a difference that comes with this strength. You want to leave that legacy. And you're going to feel that when you're partnering with somebody who has this strength.
Jim Collison:
[5:56] I often think of the word you just used as legacy. That's a great way to think about that, of doing it. Not as strong for me. I'm more of a numbers guy. Let's get big numbers. I like that. And maybe the legacy's in there, but I kind of do numbers for numbers' sake. So I kind of just like to see the big numbers. We also think of this one in the bring statement area a lot, but it does have needs as well. Talk a little, what does it need?
Jillian White:
[6:19] Yeah. And, you know, we're going to talk with every strength that needs some recognition, but this strength in particular really needs it. And at first that might almost feel strange to even say, but it is a strength that it's very conscious of how it's showing up. And so it thrives in the spotlight. And so when it knows that it is doing well and it's getting attention and visibility for that, it fuels this strength. So it needs recognition and admiration. It does oftentimes need an appreciative audience as a result. I can think of, once again, someone who I had partnered with who has high Significance. And I would just watch in moments that were key critical moments, this person would just step up to the spotlight and shine. And there's something fun about that, but they need those opportunities. They need some of those kind of high-profile, high-visibility opportunities that help fuel the strength and provide that appreciative audience.
Jim Collison:
[7:16] We have a new section in our new Top 5 report. If you haven't looked at that in a while, if it's been a while since you've been out there and looked at your reports, you might want to go out and take a peek at that. It's called Theme Dynamics. We take, we take a look at two themes, put them together, and what do they look like maybe in combination. Let's spend a little time in it, maybe in an individual, thinking through what's most commonly paired with Significance.
Jillian White:
[7:40] Yeah. And Jim, I'm starting to wonder on this because we had the same strength show up on our, the last one that we recorded. But Significance is most likely to pair with Achiever. Achiever is the most common strength in our database. So it's also just statistically a little more likely to pair because of that. But think about what that looks like when it combines. You've got this striving to do more and then this hard work ethic that comes in and makes it happen. I think that's really fun to see with these two together. Let me read the actual statement that's in our report. "You are driven by the fire in your belly to get things done, and by the fans in the stands who are cheering you on." So there is something, once again, when that Significance is doing something with Achiever, but doing something and people are watching and cheering on, that's when it's going to be thriving.
Jim Collison:
[8:27] Well, and things don't happen without action, right? I mean, to get these events, to get these things, to whatever that is, you got to get some stuff moving. So that makes sense to me. As we think about this concept of Theme Dynamics and partnerships and collaborations, though, what could, what, how could other themes help?
Jillian White:
[8:46] Yeah, let's, let's just think for a minute about what, what would be really fun for somebody with that high Significance to get to partner with. I think then getting to pair with somebody who has high Futuristic and dream about the, the legacy that they can leave through what they're creating in the future, that could be really fun. I think partnering with some people who can energize their vision of impact, so maybe that Communication, Positivity, Woo combination that is a bit of an advocate for them. Um, it's interesting, Jim, I wondered when you said you feel some elements of Significance, you have very high Maximizer. And I actually wonder if it's a little more your Maximizer that's coming out. But there is a shared love of doing something with excellence that it shares with a Maximizer. So I think there could be a lot of fun partnering with, you know, how do we do something the best that anyone has done it if you if you pair it with a high Maximizer, that could be really fun. And then something like Achiever and Competition. I mean, those pairing with that Significance to say, we're not only going to do this, we're going to make this happen. And there's going to be some drive behind this. And we are going to, we're going to win through how we're thinking about having a significant impact. So those, I think it's almost like when you, when you add any of these together, I always say there's strengths that intensify and there's strengths that, that kind of temper. Those are strengths that I think could almost intensify in a fun way, that Significance. Flip side of that, what's some of those that would temper? Significance, and I find this with leaders that have this, they're very aware of perception. So they are oftentimes aware of leading up, like what do our leaders think of our function? What do our leaders think of us? Right. And so I think there's a little of a blind spot to sometimes look down and to think or out and think about who else to bring with you. So hearing other voices. So themes like Developer, Includer, Harmony, Relator, Connectedness, some of those Relationship Building themes. I think those could pair really well with Significance to say, hey, let's not only remember how we're being viewed here, but let's also make sure we're hearing the voices and helping people come along with us in these other spaces.
Jim Collison:
[10:57] If you didn't hear it at the beginning of that, Jillian coached me, by the way. If you, like, I got, there was a solid coaching moment. Hopefully you were listening for understanding and not just response that was there. No, I appreciate that. That's actually a great way of, you know, Curt in the, in the very first season of this used to joke with me and say, Jim, I think all 34 are in your top 10. Cause I, I'm one, I try not to actually, I want them all. Like bring them all in in some way, right? That's my tendency.
Jillian White:
[11:27] Still has a, you know, a hint to that that shows up for you.
Jim Collison:
[11:30] Oh, right, right. I just got coached. So I appreciate that. Anyways, we've got some ...
Jillian White:
[11:34] Let me add on that for just a second, because I think it is something good for us all to think about. You can oftentimes have behavior that looks similar, but a little bit different driving motivations behind it. And that's where you see the strengths in action is, is what's the driving motivator? You know, Maximizer still wants to show up with excellence and do something great, right? But Significance wants to, to really leave that impact, that legacy. And so you might have some common ways it looks in how it shows up, but that motivation is going to be just a little nuanced between each of those.
Jim Collison:
[12:05] No, well said. Well said and well coached. Appreciate that. So we have some tips for leaders, teams and individuals as we kind of wrap this up today. When we think about Significance and maybe a leader using that with someone who has that high, spend a little time talking about that.
Jillian White:
[12:21] Yeah. And remember, these are people that are going to, they're going to show up well in the spotlight. What do they need from you if you're leading them? I would think about making sure they do have some high-profile work and chances to work on something that they feel like is going to make a difference. Maybe even ask them that and say, hey, where do you feel like you want to make a big impact in your role or in this company, right? Remember, recognition is really important for these individuals. So they are, especially from their leader, because they do tend to look up, think about who meaningful recognition might come from. They need to hear it from you. They likely need to hear it from some other leaders as well. I would encourage them to champion causes that they're passionate about or even champion other people. Remember, they like to shine a spotlight. And so that can sometimes come. I've seen some powerful leaders actually use Significance to spotlight others, and they get a lot of joy out of that. So help people do that, that have strong Significance. And then ask them, you know, when they do great work, who do they want to know about it? That's going to help you know who it's going to be meaningful for them to get that positive reinforcement and feedback from.
Jim Collison:
[13:28] What should teams keep in mind working with someone with, with high Significance or maybe onboarding them onto their teams?
Jillian White:
[13:34] Yeah, remember what they value. They, they want to see where they can make an impact. I would encourage if you're onboarding somebody who has strong Significance, remember to show them the importance of their work. So how does what they do today, I think about this with our engagement research. We know high-performing teams feel like the mission or purpose of my company helps me feel like my job is important. Help them see the importance of their work, right? Provide opportunities for visibility. Ask them questions like, what's the most meaningful recognition that you've received? Remember, recognition is important to them. So listen for what's going to make that recognition meaningful. I love in coaching individuals who have Significance, asking about legacy. I find they light up when I ask them about legacy. So even asking a question like, you know, have you thought about what legacy you want to leave through the work that you're doing here or through how you're approaching your work and your life? I think you're going to hear some things come out of them that help you understand how they're wired and what's meaningful to them and where you can position them to make a difference when you ask a question like that.
Jim Collison:
[14:33] And then as we wrap it, what about partners and what should they keep in mind working with this?
Jillian White:
[14:39] Yeah, if you have strong Significance, you are good in those spotlight moments. I just encourage you, think about where you're intentionally aiming that spotlight that helps your partnership. We know great partners have a common shared mission. So think about how to use that spotlight to either showcase the impact of your shared mission, or to showcase the great work of your partners. Those are fun ways to think about intentionally using that in that context of partnership.
Jim Collison:
[15:06] I think with that, we'll remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we do have available in Gallup Access. Log in, choose the upper left menu, choose the Resources tab, and then put in Significance, and you will then get all the information we have back on that. A bunch of podcasts, a bunch of written content. Continue the learning and growing as well. We'd love to hear from you on that as well. If you're listening live, thanks for coming out today. We'll do a little bit of a post-show. If you're listening to the recorded version of this podcast or on YouTube, probably have another one ready for you. Just click Next. and it will be there. Thanks for coming out today. Thanks for listening. With that, we'll say goodbye, everybody.
Jillian White's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are Achiever, Input, Learner, Belief and Responsibility.