Learner: Learning to Love All 34 Talent Themes

On a recent Theme Thursday Season 1 live webcast, we discussed the Learner theme with Gallup Strengths Evangelist Paul Allen.

People with strong Learner talents not only love to learn, but they also intuitively know how they learn best. They can learn quickly, and when focused, they can keep a group, team and organization on the cutting edge.

Gallup Senior Learning and Development Consultant Curt Liesveld describes those with high Learner as having "a natural curiosity and enjoyment of the learning experience that leads to ever-evolving paradigms and ever-evolving perspectives." He says that much like a runner getting a high from a long run, people with strong Learner talent tend to experience a similar emotional boost when presented with the opportunity to learn something new.

Learner is the second-most-common theme (29%) in the Top 5 of those who have taken the CliftonStrengths assessment. Comparing Learner with other themes, such as Input, Curt says that those with Learner enjoy the process of learning, while those with Input are more attracted to the tangible aspects of learning, such as books and specific subject matter.

Our guest on the show, Paul Allen, says that Learner is such an important theme for him that when he's uninspired, he reads a book, digests new information and very quickly becomes reenergized. Paul is a perfect example of an individual needing that "Learner's high" to press on through times of discouragement and boredom.

To hear more about the Learner theme and how people like Paul use it in their everyday lives, watch the full video above.

Paul Allen's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are Learner, Input, Ideation, Intellection and Strategic.