Thoughts on Strengths and Weaknesses

I was recently required to take the CliftonStrengths test as a part of a leadership program that I’m participating in. I have taken the test before, and I was curious to see what it would tell me about myself now, more than a decade later. 

On the surface, it’s an appealing idea: answer a series of questions, and in return, you get a snapshot of your greatest strengths. These are the things you supposedly do best, the qualities that make you unique and successful. It’s not hard to see why so many organizations and individuals use it. 

There’s something motivating about reading a summary that tells you what you’re good at. It frames your personality in a way that feels positive, aspirational. Instead of focusing on what you lack, it gives you a sense of what you might lean into more, what you might pursue in your career, or how you might articulate yourself in a way that builds confidence. In that sense, it can feel like a guidebook or even a map to help you understand the person you are now, and the person you want to become.

That’s where I think the real value lies. When you use it for yourself, quietly and personally, it can serve as inspiration. It can remind you that you don’t have to be all things to all people. You can focus on your particular mix of strengths and stop worrying so much about the rest. That can be freeing for people who have never really stopped to think about their strengths. For people who also struggle with imposter syndrome or who tend to be overly self-critical, a tool like this can provide a little relief and support, too. It’s a positivity guide more than anything, and if it helps you reframe your thinking in a way that gives you energy, I think that’s worthwhile.

Having language to describe yourself is also useful. If you’ve ever stumbled over explaining how you approach your work or why you do things a certain way, CliftonStrengths gives you shorthand. Saying, “I’m a Relator,” or “I’m high Strategic,” communicates something quickly that might otherwise take a long time to explain. 

I also think it can be a springboard for reflection. The test forces you to stop and acknowledge traits and patterns about yourself. Sometimes it names things you’ve felt but haven’t been able to put into words. Other times, it pushes you to consider why certain roles energize you while others drain you. In that way, it can give you insight, or at least spark conversations worth having with yourself.

My top strengths from my CliftonStrengths test. (August, 2025) Note that the other 24 results, including many that would be considered weaknesses are greyed out on the report.

There are many other positive uses that I can think of, too, including career alignment and overall growth in your life. It’s about aspiration, not about labels of who you’ll always be. 

Now that I’ve said that, I have to acknowledge that, as  I took the test and the more I sat with the results, the more I slowly started to ponder the real downsides. I don’t want to be overly dramatic, but honestly, they started to feel more significant the more I thought about them. 

The bottom line for me is that this test can be incredibly useful if taken and used in the right way. But it has the potential to actually be damaging if used incorrectly. That may be a strong word, but if you’re looking at the paths that your life can take, this test could actually be one of the major forks in the road that lead you to being your best self, or traveling nowhere good.

The first issue is that the test creates the illusion of definition. When you’re handed a list of your top five “themes,” it’s easy to feel like that’s who you are, full stop. That can be comforting. But it can also be limiting. The danger is that you start to believe those categories are fixed, like permanent labels you’ll carry for life. I know personally that my test this time did not come out exactly like it did 10 years ago. The reality is that our strengths and behaviors shift as we move through different life stages, environments, and challenges. What feels true for me today will likely not hold in five or ten years. Yet the way CliftonStrengths is often framed gives people the sense, and those that you share it with, that you’re locked into the results, as though growth, change, and complexity have no place in the picture. If you’re committed to taking the test each year, that’s one thing. But taking the test once and then being permanently cemented to that picture can be problematic.

I think the other core issue with the test is that it should be a tool for you, not other people around you. It’s not for managers, the people that you work with, or for public consumption. This test will cause managers to typecast employees based on their results and assume someone is only suited for certain tasks. They may even overlook their potential for growth outside of those categories. What begins as a tool for self-discovery can quickly become a tool for pigeonholing. Instead of developing people, it risks reducing them. That’s not what self-awareness should be about.

Another major concern that I had while taking the test this time was bias. The test is completely self-reported, which means the accuracy of the results depends entirely on how honest and self-aware you are in the moment. That sounds straightforward, but it’s not. We’re not always honest with ourselves. Sometimes we answer aspirationally, leaning into who we want to be instead of who we really are. As I said previously, if used properly, this test can help you to articulate who you want to be and where you’d like to grow. I know I’ve caught myself choosing the option that sounded like an answer that I should give instead of the one that’s the current reality. Many times, both answers are true equally. There might be one that really describes you right now, but the other answer is one that you truly aspire to be in the future. Which do you choose if you’re being honest in the moment?

The largest flaw that I see with this test is that there are a lot of people who are desparately focused on their strengths, and equally focused on ignoring their weaknesses. The test does not discuss weaknesses. Focusing on your strengths can be incredibly beneficial, but there’s a fine line between a healthy focus on your strengths and weaknesses and the dark path into narcissism. If you refuse to acknowledge your shortcomings, reject feedback, or obsess about always being seen in a positive light to others, then you will never be your best self. Narcissists avoid or dismiss any acknowledgment of weakness; they inflate their egos, abilities, or achievements, and completely block out their failures. They seek validation and admiration, and acceptance instead of growth. This test can be just that–validation for how you want to be seen in your own mind, but not in reality.

Growth doesn’t only come from celebrating what we’re good at. It also comes from recognizing where we fall short and being honest about it. By focusing so exclusively on strengths, CliftonStrengths risks leaving people unaware of the very things that might be limiting them. 

Now, to wrap things up, let me just add one caveat. Gallup does provide the Clifton Strengths 34 report, which provides a more comprehensive version of the standard Top 5 assessment that most people take. But of course, this is a $60 upsell that many people don’t take. The report ranks all 34 themes rather than just the five you score highest on. Notably, it includes guidance on how to manage potential weaknesses, especially among your lower-ranked themes. But up until just now, I didn’t know that this existed, and in my experience, I’ve never seen it used in practice. 

In the end, my takeaway is this: the CliftonStrengths test is a useful tool if you treat it as inspiration, not definition. It can be motivating if you use it and keep it to yourself. It can give you language and spark reflection. But it’s not the full story, and it shouldn’t be treated as such. If you take it too seriously, it can box you in or blind you to important parts of yourself. Worse, if others use it carelessly, it can reduce you to a label instead of seeing you as a whole, evolving person.

For me, it was an interesting experience to take it now after 10 years. I was reminded of qualities I already strive for and appreciate. But the most important lesson wasn’t in the results—it was in realizing that no test can truly capture who I am. At best, it’s a starting point. The real work is the ongoing reflection, the feedback from others, and the willingness to evolve and improve. That’s where growth actually happens.