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An Introduction to the Achiever® CliftonStrengths Theme

Looking to learn more about Achiever? Whether you want to know more about how to use your Achiever theme to succeed, or how to help someone harness theirs, you've come to the right place.

You'll find definitions and descriptions made popular in the international bestseller StrengthsFinder 2.0, plus ideas for how to better understand and use this CliftonStrengths theme.

What Is the Definition of Achiever?

Achiever and the rest of the CliftonStrengths themes are comprised of natural talents that Gallup has identified through decades of research.

People exceptionally talented in the Achiever theme work hard and possess a great deal of stamina. They take immense satisfaction in being busy and productive.

People complete the CliftonStrengths assessment to learn which of the 34 themes, like Achiever, are strongest in them.

The following definition describes the thoughts, feelings and behaviors you are likely to experience if you have strong Achiever:

Your Achiever theme helps explain your drive. Achiever describes a constant need for attainment. You feel as if each day starts at zero. By the day's end, you must achieve something tangible to feel good about yourself. And by "every day," you mean every single day -- workdays, weekends, and vacations.

No matter how much you may feel you deserve a day of rest, if the day passes without some form of achievement, no matter how small, you will feel dissatisfied. You have an internal fire burning inside you. It pushes you to do more, to achieve more.

After each accomplishment is reached, the fire dwindles for a moment, but very soon, it rekindles itself, forcing you toward the next accomplishment. Your relentless need for achievement might not be logical. It might not even be focused. But it will always be with you.

As an Achiever, you must learn to live with this whisper of discontent. It does have its benefits. It brings you the energy you need to work long hours without burning out. It is the jolt you can always count on to get you started on new tasks and challenges. It is the power supply that causes you to set the pace and define the levels of productivity for your workgroup. It is the theme that keeps you moving.

Achiever is a theme in the Executing domain of CliftonStrengths.

People with dominant Executing themes like Achiever make things happen.

Each of the 34 CliftonStrengths sort to one of four domains -- Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building and Strategic Thinking. These domains help you understand how to use individual CliftonStrengths to succeed when you join, create or lead a team.

Learn more about the CliftonStrengths domains

How to Better Understand Your Achiever Theme

Making the most of your Achiever talents starts with gaining valuable insights into what you naturally do best.

How people with strong Achiever talents describe themselves:

  • "I am a hard worker."
  • "I need freedom to work at my own pace."
  • "I love completing tasks."
  • "I hate a lack of diligence."
  • "I bring the intensity and stamina of effort."

How to Apply Your Achiever to Succeed

The most successful people invest in their strongest talents. The only way to develop your Achiever talents is to use them every day -- at work, at home and everywhere else.

The following are a few ideas for how to apply your Achiever to achieve your goals:

Work With Achiever: Make sure that in your eagerness to do more work, you do not skimp on quality. Create measurable outcome standards to guarantee that increased productivity is matched by enhanced quality.

Lead With Achiever: You do not require much motivation from others. Take advantage of your self-motivation by setting challenging goals. Set a more demanding goal every time you finish a project.

Live With Achiever: You relish the feeling of being busy, yet you also need to know when you are "done." Attach timelines and measurements to goals so that effort leads to defined progress and tangible outcomes.

Check out our in-depth videos from Gallup experts for more ways to use Achiever to make the most of your potential.

Achiever:

If You're a Manager With Achiever

Your Achiever talent makes you stronger. Lead with your strengths so both you and your team can succeed. A strengths-based approach to management will lead to:

  • better conversations
  • stronger partnerships
  • higher team engagement
  • greater collaboration

For manager-specific insights and strategies, check out your CliftonStrengths for Managers report and explore your top 10 themes and how you can use them to reach your goals.

Managing Team Members With Strong Achiever Talents

Discovering the collective talents of your team using the CliftonStrengths assessment is just the first step.

To successfully manage or lead others, you must individualize your approach. You must understand what makes each of your team members unique. And you must lead meaningful conversations about performance that focus on what each person naturally does best.

An Example of Managing Team Members With Achiever

When people with strong Achiever talents finish a job, a rest or an easy assignment is rarely the reward they want. They will be more motivated if you give recognition for a past achievement and then set a new goal that stretches them further.

Use the CliftonStrengths Assessment to Discover More About Achiever

CliftonStrengths DNA Strand image.

How Strong Are Your Achiever Talents?

Purchase CliftonStrengths 34 to reveal your complete unique talent profile and learn just how strong your Achiever talents are. You'll get personalized insights into your CliftonStrengths results and ideas for maximizing your potential.

Group of people at work discussing their strengths.

How to Work With Others With Strong Achiever Talents

Gallup offers resources and products you can use to help others succeed by developing their Achiever theme and all their CliftonStrengths.