"Should I take StrengthsFinder 2.0 or CliftonStrengths 34?"
I hear this question all the time. Leaders, directors, and executives come to me after doing research, reading reviews, and being ready to invest in training… and they’re still confused by this seemingly simple question.
Here's the surprising answer: StrengthsFinder 2.0 and CliftonStrengths are the same assessment. The confusion isn't your fault—it's the result of a name change that, while well-intentioned, has left many leaders scratching their heads.
In my three decades of coaching executives and emerging leaders, I've watched the Gallup strengths assessment evolve from a groundbreaking new tool into one of the most widely-used leadership development resources in the world. I've also watched the terminology shift multiple times, creating genuine confusion for people who simply want to understand their talents and lead more effectively.
If you've found yourself wondering whether you should take StrengthsFinder or CliftonStrengths, whether you need the Top 5 or the Full 34, or if your old StrengthsFinder 2.0 results are still valid, you're not alone. These are smart questions that deserve clear answers.
So let’s talk about it.
How we got here.
2001: The Original StrengthsFinder is created.
Created by Don Clifford, this era of the test identified your Top 5 signature strengths from 34 possible themes. It revolutionized how people thought about professional and personal development.
2007: StrengthsFinder 2.0
Same assessment, but with improved user experience and reporting. This edition still focused on the Top 5 strengths, and the book that introduced it became one of the bestselling business books of all time.
2015: The Rebrand to CliftonStrengths
Gallup rebranded to honor Don Clifton's legacy, so StrengthsFinder became "CliftonStrengths". It’s based on the same 34 themes, with the same assessment methodology, but with enhanced reporting and resources.
What’s the difference?
Truthfully, the decision isn’t between StrengthsFinder and CliftonStrengths; it’s whether you want just your Top 5 or Full 34. Both are based in the same 34 talent themes, but they have different depths of information.
CliftonStrengths Top 5 (formerly StrengthsFinder2.0)
The Top 5 reveals your signature strengths. It’s about the talents that come most naturally to you. You receive a report explaining each theme and how it may show up in your work, as well as access to development resources and action items.
Best for: Leaders beginning their strengths journey, teams participating in professional group development, and organizations rolling out strengths-based culture programs company-wide. It provides a common language without breaking the budget, and is helpful for teams to understand their overall strengths
CliftonStrengths 34 (The Full Profile)
The Full 34 provides a complete ranking of all 34 themes, from dominant strengths to lesser talents. You’ll understand what you do best as well as where you may have blind spots.
Best for: Leaders, executives, coaches, and HR professionals. If you’re building a team, delegating, or helping to develop others, knowing your full profile is invaluable.
Let’s dig deeper into the key differences that matter for leaders.
1. Depth of Self-Awareness
Top 5 gives you the tools to focus on what you do best, build on natural talents, and offers a clear starting point for development.
Full 34 gives a complete understanding of your talents, with insight into your blind spots and a better understanding of how to complement your team.
2. Practical Applications in Leadership
Top 5 works best in understanding your communication preferences, doing the initial layer of self-discovery, and helps identify your natural leadership style.
Full 34 can give guidance on strategic delegation decisions and offers a great opportunity for comprehensive leadership development. It helps you understand why certain tasks may drain you and how to build complementary teams.
3. Cost-Benefit Considerations
Top 5 is a lower initial investment, which makes it great for your full team or for leaders just looking to get a little guidance.
Full 34 may be a higher investment, but it’s a deeper long-term value.
Many leaders choose to start with a Top 5 assessment and upgrade to the Full 34 after experiencing the value of their initial self-discovery.
How do you make the right choice for your situation?
Choose StrengthsFinder 2.0 if:
● You’re new to strengths-based development
● You’re working with your team in a workshop or training
● Budget is a core concern
● You want to introduce the concept organization-wide
Choose CliftonStrengths if:
● You’re in a leadership or executive role
● You’re serious about investing in your professional development
● You coach others
● You want comprehensive self-understanding
● You’re making strategic plans for your career
Not sure if you’re ready to do the full 34? Start with the Top 5/StrengthsFinder2.0. You’ll still get great value out of your Top 5, and you can expand upon it when you’re ready.
Conclusion:
Taking the assessment? That's just step one. Real magic happens when you actually do something with what you learn.
Your results shouldn't just live in some email thread you opened once and never looked at again. They're tools—meant for real conversations, tough decisions, those moments when you need to really think through that next decision.
Here's the thing about working with a certified CliftonStrengths coach: they help you see what you can't see on your own. They can catch patterns you'd miss, call out blind spots, and show you how to leverage your strengths in ways that make a real difference. It's the gap between knowing something about yourself and actually changing how you operate.
Don’t forget to share what you learn. When you share your results with your team—when strengths become part of how you talk to each other—everything shifts. People collaborate better. Those weird misunderstandings start to make sense. You stop getting frustrated by how differently someone works and start seeing the value in it.
But mostly? Use this in everyday tasks and conversations. Next time you're heading into an important meeting, making a big call, or dealing with team drama—stop for a second and ask yourself: "How could my strengths help me right now?" The more you do that, the more automatic it gets, and the more it helps.
Come back to your results every so often. Your strengths won't change, but how you understand them should. Six months or a year from now, you'll read the same report and see new things. That's growth.
The leaders I've seen get the most out of this don't treat CliftonStrengths like a personality quiz you take at a retreat and forget about. They use it as an actual development tool—something they keep coming back to that makes their lives better. The assessment points you in a direction. What you do consistently after that is what actually changes things.
One last thing: StrengthsFinder 2.0 and CliftonStrengths—same assessment, different names. One shows your Top 5, the other breaks down all 34 themes. Both are useful in their own ways. The one that makes sense for you depends on where you are and how deep you want to go.
Here's what really matters: finding out your strengths is just the start. Growth happens when you choose to use them—on purpose, over and over. This isn't about turning into someone you're not. It's about becoming more of who you already are, but doing it intentionally.
If you haven't taken the assessment, now's as good a time as any. If you took it years ago, it might be worth another look with a fresh perspective. And if you want to dig deeper and figure out what your strengths could really unlock in how you lead, let's talk about what coaching could do.
I've been doing this work for over 30 years, and I'm still surprised by what happens when leaders stop trying to be something they're not and just lead from who they actually are. It changes how they show up. How their teams respond. How work feels.
It really does change everything.
Ready to discover how your strengths can transform your leadership? Let's connect and talk about which assessment is right for you.
