If Strengths Are So Powerful, Why Do So Many Teams Still Struggle?

Strengths On Fire

You believe in strengths. You’ve done the workshops. You’re bought in.
So… why does your team still hit roadblocks?

In this episode, Sarah Collins and Bill Dippel tackle the messy middle of strengths-based development—the part where good intentions meet real-world team dynamics. They dig into bold truths about why teams struggle even when they’ve embraced CliftonStrengths, and what it actually takes to turn awareness into sustained culture change.
You’ll hear insights on why one-off workshops don’t stick, how to empower internal champions (aka strengths ambassadors), and what to do when you’ve got skeptics in the room. Whether you’re a leader, coach, or team member trying to get buy-in and build momentum, this episode offers practical strategies to keep the strengths conversation alive—and make it matter. Because knowing your strengths is great. Living them out with your team? That’s where the magic—and the hard work—really begins.

🔥 7 Takeaways

1. Knowing your strengths doesn’t magically make you a high-performing team. Strengths awareness is just step one—application, trust, and communication are where the real transformation happens.
2. Teams struggle when strengths stay siloed. Without regular conversations and shared understanding, individual strengths don’t add up to collective success.
3. Assuming good intent is powerful—but it needs structure. Saying “assume the best” isn’t enough without healthy conflict habits and clear expectations.
4. Strengths can clash when left unchecked. What energizes one person might drain or frustrate another—and that’s where dialogue (not judgment) is key.
5. Trust takes time—and intention. Strengths work creates language and self-awareness, but psychological safety is what makes people speak up, lean in, and collaborate deeply.
6. Feedback is essential. If your team avoids it, you’ll plateau. Strengths help people give and receive feedback with more grace and specificity.
7. You can’t just give everyone a report and call it culture. A strengths-based team is built through ongoing conversations, curiosity, and shared responsibility.

💥 Sound Bites

“Strengths aren’t magic—they’re tools. And tools only work when you use them.”

“If you stop at the Top 5 report, you’re stopping at awareness—not impact.”

“It’s not about having strengths—it’s about sharing strengths.”

“Teams break down when we admire each other’s strengths, but never talk about what we need.”

“Assuming good intent only works if we’re also doing the work of building trust.”

“If you don’t understand how your strength feels to someone else, you’ll keep creating friction.”

“A strength overdone isn’t a superpower—it’s a blind spot.”

“You can’t be a high-performing team without psychological safety—period.”

“Feedback isn’t a threat—it’s a gift when it’s strengths-based.”

“You’ve got your strengths. Cool. Now what?”

“Strengths don’t remove tension—they give us a better way to work through it.”

“It’s not about fixing people—it’s about finding the best in them together.”

“Just because you’re energized doesn’t mean you’re easy to work with.”

“We need to normalize strengths conversations like we normalize status updates.”

“Your team doesn’t need another offsite—they need honest, curious conversations.”

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Individualization

2) Developer

3) Activator

4) Woo

5) Restorative

6) Empathy

7) Harmony

8) Connectedness

9) Relator

10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Positivity

2) Woo

3) Communication

4) Harmony

5) Activator

6) Developer

7) Input

8) Individualization

9) Responsibility

10) Arranger

Official Strengths On Fire Website: https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

GET MORE FROM BILL AND SARAH:
Bill's info:
https://billdippel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/
https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/

Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/