Trailblazing Leadership - A StrengthsTrail Foundational Pillar

At StrengthsTrail, Pillar 2 is all about Trailblazing Leadership — leading with your strengths, and empowering others to do the same.

When leaders lean into what they do best, we find that their confidence grows, their sense of clarity sharpens, and as a result their teams come alive. Leadership becomes less about fixing and more about amplifying ie: bringing out the best in yourself and others.

It starts with self-awareness, which we’ve previously written about: knowing your unique combination of strengths and how they interact. Then, it expands to recognising and nurturing the best in those around you. This is where the magic happens — when you stop managing tasks and start energising talent.

One simple practice we use with clients: notice your “theme dynamics.” Strengths rarely act alone — they work in pairs or patterns. For example:

• Strategic + Activator can create powerful momentum for bold new paths.

• Empathy + Relator can deepen trust and connection in a team.

The more you understand these patterns (in yourself and in others) the more effectively you can lead with intention and impact. During Pillar Two of StrengthsTrail, you get a Strengths Compass of your Top 10 Clifton Strengths; this compass helps you plan and map how to play with and achieve these theme dynamics.  

And here’s a stat we love from Gallup: teams that report having “best friends at work” see 12% higher profitability, 24% better quality outcomes and 26% fewer safety incidents. Those outcomes don’t happen by chance — they happen when leaders create cultures of trust, collaboration, and connection.

So this week, ask yourself: Which of my strengths (or pairs of strengths) could I use more deliberately to empower someone else?