When the Strength Becomes the Burden Responsibility is often celebrated as the strength of dependability, commitment and trust. People high in Responsibility are the colleagues who follow through, keep their promises and can be relied upon when things get difficult. Responsibility is my number six CliftonStrength, and probably my Achilles heel. Give…
Relator® is often described as the strength of deep relationships. People high in Relator value trust, authenticity and meaningful connection. At its best, Relator creates loyalty, belonging and psychological safety. At its worst, it can unintentionally create exclusion, blind spots and resistance to new perspectives. I don’t need hundreds of connections. I just need…
At its best, Positivity brings a kind of warmth that changes the feel of everything. It lifts the tone in a room, helping people keep going when things feel heavy, and spotting possibility just when others are losing sight of it. It’s as quick to notice progress as it is outcomes, building connection through genuine encouragement and energy. This is the glue in hard moments—and the spark when things start to feel flat.
The way Positivity shows up was captured brilliantly by two postdoctoral fellows I was having a coffee with. One of them had just come back from visiting her new university, and she was describing how wonderful it all was—how lovely the people were, how welcoming everything felt. Her colleague just laughed and said, “You think everywhere is wonderful because people see how wonderful you are.” He went on to explain: “You walk into a coffee shop and the barista says, ‘Your usual?’ I’ve been going to the same place, with the same person, for a year—and when he sees me, he just says, ‘What do you want?’” Then she added, “You’re like the Queen who thinks everywhere smells of fresh paint. Everywhere you go, the sun shines—and people shine on you, because you shine.
Positivity brings energy, lift, and lightness. It helps teams move through difficulty, keeps momentum alive, and reminds people why their work matters.
At its best, it’s contagious in the right way.
But like every strength, when it shows up at the wrong moment, is overplayed or under pressure, Positivity has a shadow.
And it’s often quieter—and more costly—than people realise. If you want the formal Gallup definition of Positivity, you can explore it here:
https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/253915/positivity-theme.aspx
(And if you haven’t already, you can read the wider context of this series here:
👉 https://katalytik.co.uk/the-dark-side-of-cliftonstrengths/)
What happens when Harmony becomes a liability for its host? When it goes to the darkside?
The truth is, many, many Harmony-high people dislike conflict. For more depth on conflict read the Katalytik Whitepaper on Conflict and Communication and access our insights on how you can interact more effectively with some CliftonStrengths when you understand their drivers and style. A useful reference on blindspots can be found here.
When you lead with high Positivity, you’ll be the one who feels it most when the emotional tone around you starts to dip. Heavy, critical or draining environments can feel disproportionately hard for you to sit in—especially when conversations get stuck in problems with no movement.
If negativity dominates, effort can go unrecognised, or setbacks begin to take the energy out of the group, so you’ll notice your internal pressure rising. And often, without quite deciding to, you take on the role of lifting everyone—feeling responsible for keeping things moving, keeping spirits up, and stopping the whole thing from sliding further. Or you may feel claustrophobic and leave.
It seems conflicting, but positivity can tip over into something less helpful. A client I was coaching found it hard to access gravitas because her Positivity was so strong. She found this caused difficult conversations hard. Mostly, she avoided them altogether. Other ways it can cause you a challenge:
• you may tend to frame real problems too quickly into “it’ll be fine”
• you push yourself (and others) to stay upbeat when it’s not authentic
• people feel unheard because their frustration or concern gets bypassed by you
• internally you are driven to “stay positive” rather than be real
• ultimately you cam end up carrying the emotional load for everyone else
And underneath it? Is often fatigue. Because being the energy in the room, all the time, is a heavy lift.
And so you sink to being the opposite of your natural, innate self.
Your Positivity isn’t ignoring reality, it’s energising it. But when things get tense and you are under strain, Positivity can slip into energy as avoidance
Instead of “Let’s face this and move forward”
It becomes “Let’s not sit in this too long—let’s move on”
The intention is still good. The impact? People can feel dismissed, rushed, or even silenced.
When your Positivity is overplayed, others can experience you as:
• not fully listening
• brushing past important issues
• minimising legitimate concerns
• impatient with anything “too negative”
• hard to be honest with
Ironically, this is often the opposite of what you’re trying to create.
This isn’t about dialling your Positivity down—it’s about directing it with intent. When it’s well-aimed, Positivity becomes a force for movement, not avoidance. A few small shifts make a disproportionate difference:
I really like this reframe: Positivity isn’t: “Everything’s fine”
It’s:
“We can face this—and still move forward”
And of course, no CliftonStrength exists in isolation. Depending on your own ranked order, you can also interact with others to help you shift toward the Jedi side.
|
CliftonStrength |
When it works well with Positivity |
When the dark side creeps in |
|
Strategic |
Keeps the future feeling possible, even when the path is complex |
Brushes past risks too quickly in favour of “it’ll work out” |
|
Activator |
Creates momentum with energy and optimism |
Rushes into action without fully facing what’s difficult |
|
Responsibility |
Brings warmth and encouragement to getting things done well |
Carries emotional responsibility for everyone else as well as the task |
|
Maximiser |
Celebrates progress and lifts standards through encouragement |
Avoids tough feedback to “keep things positive” |
|
Harmony |
Helps create a calm, supportive environment |
Smooths over conflict instead of addressing it |
|
Communication |
Engages and energises people with uplifting messages |
Over-spins messages, leaving out the harder truths |
|
Empathy |
Brings genuine care and emotional connection |
Absorbs and then tries to “fix” others’ feelings too quickly |
|
Achiever |
Sustains energy over long periods of effort |
Pushes through fatigue with forced positivity |
|
Relator |
Builds deep, warm connections |
Avoids difficult conversations to protect the relationship |
Take a moment and schedule time to reflect on your positivity. Where might your Positivity be:
• smoothing over something that needs facing?
• rushing people to “feel better” before they feel heard?
• carrying more emotional responsibility than is yours?
And what would happen if you trusted that truth first, then lift… actually creates more sustainable energy?
When you find yourself in a tricky meeting moment ask yourself “What hasn’t been said yet that needs to be?”
Then go there first.
You might say something like:
“Before we move on, can we just acknowledge this feels frustrating?”
or
“I’m noticing we’re trying to stay upbeat—but I think there’s something important underneath this.”
Then—and only then—bring your Positivity in:
“So given that… what’s one step we can take from here?”
That way, your energy builds trust instead of bypassing it.
You’re not shutting down reality—you’re helping people move through it.
Positivity is a powerful force. It brings energy, connection, and momentum when it’s needed most. But its dark side it shows up when that energy starts to override honesty—when lifting the mood becomes more important than facing what’s real.
At its best, Positivity doesn’t deny difficulty. It meets it—and then moves beyond it.
And that’s the shift:
not “stay positive”
but
“be real first—then bring the energy that helps people move forward.”
In the dynamic world of engineering, collaboration and an holistic view are so important. This is where the CliftonStrength Connectedness theme shines brightly. Those with this strength excel at seeing patterns, fostering unity, and enhancing teamwork. However, like all strengths, Connectedness has its blindspots. Recognizing and managing these can transform potential pitfalls into powerful growth opportunities. And, in a world where logic and facts have such high value, it helps you understand how Connectedness can be perceived.
The Connectedness theme is a powerful asset in the sector, offering a unique ability to see the bigger picture and foster collaboration. By recognizing and managing its blindspots, individuals and teams can leverage this strength to its fullest potential. Encourage your team to embrace constructive conflict, seek evidence-based connections, balance group and individual focus, and simplify decision-making processes. With these strategies, the Connectedness theme can truly shine, driving innovation and unity in your projects.
Connectedness is a strength that allows individuals to see the bigger picture. It’s about understanding that everything happens for a reason and that all things are interconnected. In the engineering sector, this can translate to a profound ability to integrate diverse elements of a project, ensuring that all parts work harmoniously together. This strength fosters a sense of unity and purpose, driving teams towards common goals and enhancing collaboration.
Despite its many advantages, the Connectedness theme can lead to several blindspots if not carefully managed. Taking time to tune-in to this theme means you really can leverage its power and edge. These blindspots can manifest in various ways. For instance, a project team might avoid necessary confrontations to maintain harmony, leading to unresolved technical issues. Similarly, an engineer might make assumptions about system failures based on perceived patterns, without sufficient data to back up these assumptions. Finding a partner with other talent themes might be the answer for you, see some suggestions later. Four common blindspots stand out, which ones can you notice that ‘trip you up’?
Individuals with strong Connectedness may avoid conflict to maintain harmony. While this can create a peaceful work environment, it can also lead to unresolved issues that fester over time. For example: A project team might avoid necessary confrontations to maintain harmony, leading to unresolved technical issues that could escalate over time. This avoidance can result in critical problems being ignored until they become unmanageable.
The tendency to see connections everywhere can sometimes lead to making assumptions without sufficient evidence. This can result in misguided decisions based on perceived patterns rather than facts. For example: An engineer might make assumptions about system failures based on perceived patterns without sufficient data to back up these assumptions. This can lead to misguided troubleshooting efforts and wasted resources.
A focus on the collective can sometimes overshadow individual contributions and needs. This can lead to your team colleagues feeling undervalued or overlooked. For example: in a team setting, focusing too much on the collective can overshadow individual contributions and needs. Team members might feel undervalued or overlooked, leading to decreased morale, lower productivity, and or engagement.
Seeing too many interconnected factors can make decision-making challenging. The complexity of weighing all these things can lead to indecision or delayed action. For example a Connectedness engineer might struggle to prioritize tasks or make timely decisions, resulting in project delays.
To harness the full potential of the Connectedness theme while mitigating its blindspots, consider the following strategies:
Don’t be afraid of disagreement and conflict. Be part of a culture where healthy debate is valued. Encourage your team to voice their concerns and ideas openly. Structured conflict resolution techniques can be generative and even lead to innovation.
Embrace critical thinking and data analysis. Validate your assumptions with empirical evidence to ensure connections are based on facts rather than perceptions. This will also raise your value in the eyes of others.
Recognizing and celebrating others’ contributions within your team context validates varied contributions. Oftentimes colleagues with lots of Executing strengths can be so focused on getting things done, that they forget to acknowledge progress and growth. Ensuring that individual needs are met and that everyone feels valued for their unique input grows a sense of belonging and raises engagement.
Use decision-making frameworks to manage complexity. Prioritize key factors and make informed choices, even when faced with numerous interconnected elements. Even use AI tools to offer you frameworks to try.
Try to embark on regular self-reflection and peer feedback. Use the self-reflection framework in the Katalytik Library. Tools like 360-degree feedback can provide valuable insights into how Connectedness is being perceived and utilized. Read up on the Johari Window and ask for feedback.
Take time to read around, maybe take a training course, and practice different strategies for conflict navigation. The Katalytik Whitepaper reviews conflict and communication through the lens of CliftonStrengths. You might consider a training course on conflict resolution, critical thinking, and decision-making strategies. Workshops and seminars can equip you with the skills you need to manage your strengths effectively.
Be part of creating an environment where your fellow team members feel safe to express their concerns and ideas – psychological safety. Promoting such a culture of continuous improvement and learning, means blindspots are seen as opportunities for growth. Choose to read books that explore Radical Candour (Kim Scott, 2017, ISBN 9781529038347) and Crucial Conversations (Kerry Patterson and Joseph Grenny, 2021) for example – or contact Katalytik to discuss a workshop.
Your CliftonStrengths reports suggest potential strengths with which to partner. Indeed, you may even have these in the top of your profile. If so, congratulations, you can do some of this lifting yourself. We’ve picked out a few to focus on to balance your Connectedness theme:
Analytical: Helps ground the intuitive connections of Connectedness with data and evidence, ensuring decisions are based on solid analysis.
Deliberative: Adds a cautious and careful approach to decision-making, helping to avoid overgeneralization and hasty conclusions.
Individualization: Focuses on recognizing and valuing individual contributions, balancing the collective focus of Connectedness.
Command: Brings a decisive and assertive approach, countering the potential indecisiveness of Connectedness.
Focus: Helps prioritize tasks and maintain direction, ensuring that the broader connections seen by Connectedness are translated into actionable steps.
Restorative: Adds a problem-solving mindset, helping to address issues head-on rather than avoiding conflict for the sake of harmony.
The Connectedness theme is a powerful asset in the engineering sector, offering a unique ability to see the bigger picture and foster collaboration. By recognizing and managing its blindspots, you and your team will benefit and start to leverage this strength to its fullest potential. Encourage your team to embrace constructive conflict, seek evidence-based connections, balance group and individual focus, and simplify decision-making processes. With these strategies, the Connectedness theme can truly shine, driving innovation and unity in your projects.
Curios about our high-performing team sessions can be found here
Book a call
Brunel WIBEC mentoring – photos and case study
Improving wellbeing during COVID-19 lockdown Appreciating and valuing others, knowing how our differences can boost or grate, can make lockdown more tolerable and improve everyone’s wellbeing during COVID-19 lockdown. We have all been locked together with people we often don’t spend much time with….
Dr Jan Peters has been working with the Engineering and Science Doctoral Training College at UCL helping PhD students explore their self-awareness. In this series of posts she explores techniques and thinking to help you grow your self-awareness and start to notice when…
November 7 2017 We’ve seen huge advances and shifting in thinking around diversity and inclusion in higher education in recent years, catalysed by the Athena Project, launched in 1999. What a difference we can now see. The diverse and rich programme at this year’s…
Jan Peters attended the Gallup Coaches’ Alumni event on September 29th to give an IGNITE presentation on CiftonStrengths’ Talent Theme Self-Assurance. IGNITE talks can always be nerve wracking but a room full of certified coaches can add an extra level of pressure. Eager to…
Sometimes our internal people management systems don’t align. Maybe your organization has introduced strengths locally but still operates a competency-based system. And here you are, trying to work with strengths and what’s right with people while filling out forms identifying areas for development. Originally…