People especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

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

• Needs on a team: To Seek Alternatives
• As a Leader: Forge The Path Forward
• In Conflict: Quickly Name the Issues
• Partner with: Activator
• In academics: loves to see the alternative – likes classes that emphasize options, alternative solutions, and strategic thinking – independent study often appeals, as do creative assignments

Where does Strategic Theme rank in the population?

• Overall, Strategic ranks 5th, occurring in around 22% of the population’s Top Five (19% of Females and 25% of Males)

11	5	4	9

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

• most likely to appear with ACHIEVER and Relator
  
• least likely to be found with Harmony

The genius of your Strategic talent involves the way you think and generate alternatives. When faced with a problem or a dilemma you can quickly generate multiple alternatives to circumvent obstacles that prevent your progress. Sometimes you think in a backwards manner by first visualizing the outcome you want to produce and then generating multiple alternative paths to get to that objective. But your genius of Strategic doesn’t simply begin and end with generating alternatives. The real genius of this strength is found in the way that you can quickly sort through the various alternative paths and determine the one that will work best and most efficiently.

At your best (Balcony):

• anticipates alternatives, intuitive, sees different paths

At your worst (Basement):

• jumps to quick decisions, difficult to understand their thinking, closed-minded

Strategic may be one of your signature themes if…

• You like sorting through clutter.
  • You must always take the “most efficient” route.
  • You naturally put complex information into categories.
  • You have the ability to look ahead at possible scenarios before they unfold.
  • You’re great at anticipating obstacles and making decisive actions.
  • You avoid pathways that lead to foggy confusion or nowhere.
  • Source: Let’s Talk Personality

A more detailed explanation from Gallup:

The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, “What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?” This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path — your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: “What if?” Select. Strike.

Action Items for This Theme

• Take the time to fully reflect or muse about a goal that you want to achieve until the related patterns and issues emerge for you. Remember that this musing time is essential to Strategic thinking.
• You can see repercussions more clearly than others. Take advantage of this ability by planning your range of responses in detail. There is little point in knowing where events will lead if you are not ready when they do.
• Talk with others about the alternative directions you see. Detailed conversations like this can help you become even better at anticipating.
• Trust your intuitive insights as often as possible. Even though you might not be able to explain them rationally, your intuitions are created by a brain that instinctively anticipates and projects. Have confidence in these intuitions.
• When the time comes, seize the moment and state your strategy with confidence.
  Find a group that you think does important work and contribute your Strategic thinking. You can be a leader with your ideas.

Be ready to:

• Learn how to describe what you see “down the road.” Others who do not possess a strong Strategic theme may not anticipate often or well. You will need to be very persuasive if you are to help them avoid future obstacles, or to exploit the opportunities you have seen.
• Partner with someone with a strong Activator theme. With this person’s need for action and your need for anticipation, you can forge a powerful partnership.
  • 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:

A fantastic website with insightful discussion of Relator, including

• Building your brand through this strengths
• Strengthening your performance at work
• Tips for managing someone with this strengths
• Partnering with someone with this strength

 

Strategic Power and Edge takes an interesting approach highlight not just what the strength is and how it shows up if you have it in your top five, but also how to navigate the world when this strengths is one of your lesser ones.

More ideas on going deeper:

• Gallup on How You Can Productively Aim Your Strategic Talents
• Many universities use the StrengthsQuest Workbook to help you build relationships, more effectively study and find meaning in what you do.
• South Mountain Community College offers up ideas on Applying your Talents in Career Discovery and Applying your Talents in Academics
• Western Texas tells us about Using your Strengths In the Job Search, Interview and New Position
• Weber State University has posted action plan worksheets for each of Gallup’s 34 strengthsfinder talents.
  • Strategic Action Plan

From Lead Through Strengths listen/read:

Career Branding When Strateguc Is Your Strength includes an audio file exploring:

1. Career Branding
2. Red Flag Situations At Work
3. Fresh Application Ideas

 

 

 

 

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THEME INSIGHTS:

• I am (Being) ———-> willing to consider all the possibilities so the best isn’t missed
• I will (Doing) ———-> find the best route moving forward
• I Bring (Contribution) ———-> creative anticipation, imagination, persistence
• I need (Requirement) ———-> freedom to make mid-course corrections
• I love (Value) —————> seeing a way when others assume there is no way
• I Hate (Value) —————doing things the way we have always done them>
• Metaphor/Image ———-> great peripheral vision — can see the whole field
• Barrier Label ———-> always has to try something different

THEME CONTRAST:

• Strategic: Natural evaluator of possibilities.
• Analytical: Natural evaluator of realities.
  ————————————————————————————————–
• Strategic: Considers alternative routes.
• Focus: Concentrates on singular destination.

• Episode 1: The Art of Strategic Thinking – “HBR IdeaCast”
• Episode 2: Strategic Planning for Success – “The Strategy Hour Podcast”
• Episode 3: Strategic Decision-Making – “The McKinsey Podcast”
• Episode 4: Strategic Leadership – “The Leadership Podcast”
• Episode 5: Harnessing Strategic Creativity – “The Strategy Bridge Podcast”
• Episode 6: Women Leaders Driving Strategic Initiatives – “The Confident Woman Podcast” (Host: Sherry Parks)
• Episode 7: The Strategic Woman: Mapping Out Success in Leadership – “Women Who Lead” (Host: Andrena Sawyer)
• Episode 8: Navigating Strategy: Perspectives from Women in Leadership – “The Female CEO” (Host: Stacey Sargison)

Listen to great Strengths Podcasts

A more detailed explanation from Gallup:

Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance