🌟 From strengths to overdrive: what I’m learning about leading with more care, not just more ideas

A few years ago, I started working with a coach to help me think more clearly about how I lead, how I handle tricky situations, and what I really want to develop. I didn’t expect it to be easy. But I didn’t expect it to be quite so honest either.

One of the most helpful things we did was an exercise from the Manual of Me. I first came across it when I was working at Camden Council. It asked me to really look at how I show up at work — what I’m good at, where I’m stretched, and how I might come across to others. It was both a wake-up call and a relief.

The big insight? It’s not just about what your strengths are. It’s about how you use them — and what can happen when you lean on them too much.

That’s really stayed with me. It’s changed how I think about being a better colleague, a better manager — and how we build teams that adapt and grow together.

🎭 Not just strengths and weaknesses — but strengths overplayed

The idea I keep coming back to is this:

• You can grow a strength by stretching it into new areas
• But if you push it too far, it can tip into overdrive
• And that has an impact on the people around you — often without you realising

This has been really useful to me, especially as someone who works in systems change and where we’re constantly adjusting to new challenges while helping others do the same.

Here’s some of what I’ve noticed in myself — and what I’m trying now.

🎨 Creativity: from generative to grounded

I love running creative burst sessions. They’re a space to throw ideas around, fix problems, and make things better — quickly. It’s energising and collaborative.

But I’ve realised that sometimes I jump to ideas too fast. Or I fall in love with something that might not work in practice. It’s easy to miss the obvious when you’re chasing the original.

What I’m trying now:

• Noticing and naming when a hunch feels strong — and writing it down to reflect on later
• Bringing in colleagues who are brilliant at stress-testing ideas early on
• Using tools like the Liberating Structures “15% Solution” to focus creativity where it can actually land

Inspiration: At Camden Council, our innovation network helped staff and residents co-design practical solutions together.

💬 Emotional control: from steady to shared

I’ve always been the calm one in a crisis. That’s a strength. But I’ve come to see how that calm can feel distant or detached when emotion matters — like when we’re talking about racism, values or difficult team dynamics.

What I’m trying now:

• Being more open about what matters to me and why
• Showing emotion in moments where connection is more important than control
• Encouraging feedback about how I come across — and acting on it

Inspired by: TPXimpact’s work with local government, which explores how to lead with more openness, emotion and honesty in complex environments.

🔄 Flexibility: from adaptive to intentional

I’m pretty comfortable with change. But I now realise that being flexible isn’t always helpful — especially if it means moving too quickly or without enough direction.

What I’m trying now:

• Asking myself what really needs to change, and what just needs to settle
• Helping others find their feet in change, rather than pushing for more
• Bringing people with me more intentionally when setting direction

Something I admire: At Greater Manchester Combined Authority, their Reform Team have developed ways to adaptively test ideas in real time with communities and frontline staff, keeping long-term purpose at the heart.

🚀 Initiative: from proactive to collective

I’m naturally someone who sees a gap and steps in. That’s helped me get things moving. But I’ve also learned that sometimes the best leadership is stepping back, not forward.

What I’m trying now:

• Taking a pause to ask: does this need me — or can I create space for someone else?
• Making it easier for others to lead — especially when they don’t normally get the mic
• Being clearer about how decisions get made, and who’s in the room

Inspired by: The People’s Powerhouse, which centres northern voices in leadership, often handing the mic to those who rarely get it and shifting power into communities.

🛠️ What might this look like in your team?

If you’re working in strategy, change, participation or delivery, here are a few ways I’ve found useful to make this part of everyday culture:

1. 🧭 Strengths-overplayed check-ins. At retros or away days, ask: when has your strength helped? When might it have gone too far?
2. 🤝 Buddying people up. Match folks with different styles — like pairing big-picture thinkers with process-driven doers.
3. 🧠 Emotional reflection spaces. Use simple prompts or team check-ins to talk about how people are really feeling — especially in moments of pressure.
4. 📊 Strength habits tracking. Set a team Slack reminder or meeting prompt: “When did I use my strength well this week? When did I overuse it?”

💭 Final thoughts

This isn’t a tidy conclusion. It’s more of a turning point.

I’m still figuring out how to bring care into leadership in a way that’s visible and real. Still learning when to speak up and when to make space. Still trying to balance being adaptive with being grounded.

But I think a lot of us are on that journey — especially in public service and places trying to do things differently.

So I’d love to learn with others who are exploring the same questions.

What’s one strength you’re learning to use differently? What’s helping you notice when it’s in overdrive?

Let’s be more open about the messy middle — and how we’re finding our way through it.

This blog was shaped by coaching insights, supported by a powerful reflective exercise, and inspired by real examples from Camden Council, TPXimpact, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and the People’s Powerhouse.