Alternative to CliftonStrengths — From Traits to Strategic Capability
Looking for an Alternative to CliftonStrengths?
Gallup’s CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) is widely used to help people identify their natural talents and focus on what they do best. It provides a ranked list of 34 talent themes and encourages users to build on their top strengths.
But while strengths-based development is a powerful idea, many professionals and teams are now looking for a more strategic, context-aware, and actionable alternative.
That’s where the Big 5 of Strategy comes in.
What is CliftonStrengths?
CliftonStrengths is built around the idea that people grow most when they build on their innate talents. Based on decades of Gallup research, it identifies themes like:
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Strategic
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Achiever
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Communication
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Learner
It’s often used in:
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Coaching and leadership development
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Employee engagement programs
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Career and team profiling
Why Look for an Alternative to CliftonStrengths?
CliftonStrengths is popular, but it has important limitations:
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No strategic lens: it focuses on traits, not how people handle complexity, drive change, or deliver results.
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Limited development path: knowing your top themes is useful, but not always actionable in high-stakes roles.
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Not role-specific: it doesn’t align with specific strategic capabilities needed in leadership or transformation.
Big 5 of Strategy vs. CliftonStrengths
Feature | CliftonStrengths | Big 5 of Strategy |
|---|---|---|
Core model | Trait-based talents | Strategic competencies |
Output | Ranked list of strengths | Personalized profile with strengths and limitations |
Application | Self-awareness | Strategy, leadership, action |
Development | Implied, not structured | Built-in and practical |
Contextual fit | Generic | Tailored to complexity and change |
Evidence base | Gallup proprietary | Strategy.Inc proprietary (1,200-person study) |
Who is the Big 5 of Strategy For?
The Big 5 of Strategy is built for professionals working in fast-changing, complex environments. It’s ideal for those who want to go beyond self-knowledge and focus on performance, adaptability, and strategic contribution.
It’s a better fit for:
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Professionals in high-responsibility or changing roles
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Leaders navigating transformation
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Coaches looking for a development-focused alternative
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HR and L&D teams building strategic capacity
Why the Big 5 of Strategy Goes Further
Knowing your strengths is a good starting point but in today’s world, it’s not enough. You need to know how to think strategically, move systems, and adapt under pressure.
The Big 5 of Strategy gives you a profile across 5 essential competencies:
Grasp the present
Move systems forward
Shape the future
Deliver results
Adapt to change
Each one is tied to concrete behaviors, helping you turn insight into action.
