Achiever - what does the strength of Achiever bring?

Gallup Strengths Finder has 34 strengths, one of which is Achiever. Here we look at what this theme means, the characteristics of people with Achiever and what they need to thrive.

People with the Achiever theme have a drive. Achiever describes a constant need for achievement. Each day starts at zero and by the end of the day they must achieve something tangible in order to feel good. And “every day” means every single day—workdays, weekends, holidays.

There is an internal fire within that pushes those with this theme to do more, to achieve more. After each accomplishment is reached, the fire dwindles for a moment, but very soon it rekindles itself, forcing them toward the next accomplishment. The relentless need for achievement might not be logical and it might not even be focused. But it will always be with them. Those with Achiever need to learn to live with this whisper of discontent. It does have its benefits. They tend to have high levels of energy and capacity, the ability to work long hours without burning out.

One of the shadow-sides of Achiever is that you may have the same high expectations of energy, pace and output for those you work with, and may regularly feel that others don’t work as hard / fast as you. It’s worth asking whether these expectations are realistic.

Those with achiever thrive when working with other high achievers, and for being recognised for what they accomplish. They tend to be drained on days or weeks when they feel they don’t get anything done. Keeping an Achiever busier is good for them, for their manager, and for the projects they’re working on.