People strong in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.

You can tell a person strong in DEVELOPER by these attributes (source: Dr. Hulme, APU):

• See the potential in others
• Love to see progress—they appreciate the baby steps others ignore
• Encouraging
• Like to help others experience success

More about Developer:

• Needs on a team: To encourage others
• As a Leader: Cultivate growth in others
• In Conflict: Recognize Improvements
• Partner with: Individualization (Identify talents to develop)
• In academics: 

  – loves to encourage others – this student thrives in courses where they can assist other students, work in teams, do group projects, or tutor – they enjoy service learning courses immensely – supplemental instruction, field studies, or being a peer leader in a course also appeal to them – an educational plan that includes these elements each term will be particularly satisfying to them

Where does Developer Theme rank in the population?

• Overall, Developer ranks 12th, occurring in over 16% of the population’s Top Five (21% of Females and 11% of Males)

8	12	12	24

Out of your Top 5 CliftonStrengths, it’s statistically:

• most likely to appear with Empathy and Responsibility
• least likely to be found with Command and Competition

The genius of your Developer talent begins with what you can see in other people. You can see talents, strengths, and potential in others that they often cannot see in themselves.But this is just the beginning. You can also see what people can do to develop their talents, strengths, and potential. It is as if you see “stepping stones” for moving people from where they are to higher levels of development. But it doesn’t stop there. You become energized and determined to stimulate people to move, grow and develop to higher and higher levels of personal effectiveness. Next, you are particularly perceptive in noticing even the smallest amount of progress people make as they grow and develop.This leads to your mirroring back to people their progress. Accordingly, you are a great source of encouragement and a stimulator of personal progress as you can see ahead of time what people can become and as you note their progress. The great thing about all of this is how alive you become as you stimulate others with your Developer talent

At your best (Balcony):

• grows talent in others, teacher, coach, enjoys helping others succeed, invests in others

At your worst (Basement):

• not an individual contributor, wastes time on low-potential people, spectator

You might be a Strengthsfinder Developer theme if…

•  Your dynamic view of others focuses on their potential and possibilities.
• You are drawn to people who have not fully realized their potential yet.
• You feel a strong compulsion to help others challenge themselves and experience success.
• You feel that interesting experiences help us grow, learn, change and improve.
• You thrive on watching people grow and evolve over the years.
  • Source: Let’s Talk Personality

A more detailed explanation from Gallup:

You see the potential in others. Very often, in fact, potential is all you see. In your view no individual is fully formed. On the contrary, each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities. And you are drawn toward people for this very reason. When you interact with others, your goal is to help them experience success. You look for ways to challenge them. You devise interesting experiences that can stretch them and help them grow. And all the while you are on the lookout for the signs of growth — a new behavior learned or modified, a slight improvement in a skill, a glimpse of excellence or of “flow” where previously there were only halting steps. For you these small increments — invisible to some — are clear signs of potential being realized. These signs of growth in others are your fuel. They bring you strength and satisfaction. Over time many will seek you out for help and encouragement because on some level they know that your helpfulness is both genuine and fulfilling to you.

Action Items for This Theme

• Make a list of the people you have helped learn and grow. Look at the list often and remind yourself of the effect you have had on the world.
  Seek roles in which your primary responsibilities will be in facilitating growth. Teaching, coaching, or managing roles might prove especially satisfying for you.
• Notice when your associates grow, and tell them. Be specific about what you saw. Your detailed observations of their growth will enhance their growth.
• Make a list of the people you would like to help develop. Write what you would consider to be each person’s strengths. Schedule time to meet with each of them regularly — even if for only 15 minutes — and make a point of discussing both their goals and their strengths.
• Identify the mentor or mentors who recognized something special inside you. Take the time to thank them for helping you develop, even if this means tracking down a former schoolteacher and sending him or her a letter.
• Make a plan to develop your own strengths based on a detailed understanding of your talents, knowledge, and skills.

Be ready to:

• Partner with someone with a strong Individualization theme. This person can help you see where each person’s greatest strengths lie. Without this help, your Developer instincts might lead you to encourage people to grow in areas in which they lack real strength.
• Carefully avoid supporting someone who is consistently struggling in his or her role. In such instances, the most developmental action you can take is to encourage him or her to find a different role — a role that fits.
  • The Clifton StrengthsFinder and the 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder theme names are protected by copyright of Gallup Inc., 2000. All rights reserved.

For the more visually inclined:

• Highly recommended: Utilize the Called to Coach worksheet for Consistency as you listen.

Podcast episodes to help you understand and leverage your Developer Strength

• Episode 1: Nurturing Growth and Potential – “The Coaching Habit Podcast”
• Episode 2: Mentoring and Coaching Strategies – “The Leadermorphosis Podcast”
• Episode 3: Cultivating Talent and Leadership – “The TalentGrow Show”
• Episode 4: Personal Growth and Development – “The Brendon Show”
• Episode 5: Unlocking Potential in Others – “The Growth Show”
• Episode 6: Women Leaders Who Foster Growth and Development – “The Confident Woman Podcast” (Host: Sherry Parks)
• Episode 7: The Developmental Woman: Empowering Others to Succeed – “Women Who Lead” (Host: Andrena Sawyer)
• Episode 8: Nurturing Talent: Insights from Women in Leadership – “The Female CEO” (Host: Stacey Sargison)

Listen to great Strengths Podcasts