Strengths-Based Leadership: A Manager’s Guide to Team Development

Guide your team through Tuckman’s stages using a strengths-based approach.

Why Understanding Team Development is Crucial for Managers

Many managers unknowingly struggle with leading teams effectively because they don’t understand the natural progression of team development. As teams form, grow, and evolve, they go through predictable phases that impact performance, collaboration, and morale.

Bruce Tuckman’s Forming-Storming-Norming-Performing-Adjourning model provides a clear roadmap for understanding how teams develop and how leaders can support them at each stage. However, knowing these stages alone isn’t enough—leaders must apply strategies to move teams forward.

A strengths-based approach is one of the most effective ways to guide teams through these stages. Instead of focusing on weaknesses or fixing problems reactively, this approach helps managers align individual and collective strengths to drive team cohesion, productivity, and resilience.

In this blog, we’ll explore:

• What Tuckman’s stages of team development mean in practice.
• How to apply a strengths-based leadership approach at each stage.
• Practical strategies to help teams move through stages more effectively.

Key Insight: Teams don’t become high-performing by accident—they require intentional leadership and a strengths-focused approach to unlock their full potential.

1. Understanding Tuckman’s Model of Team Development

Bruce Tuckman’s research identified five key stages in a team’s journey:

The Five Stages of Team Development

1. Forming – The Beginning Stage

• Team members are polite, unsure of their roles, and looking to the leader for direction.
• There is low trust and limited collaboration since members don’t yet know each other well.
• Leadership needs to focus on setting expectations, clarifying roles, and establishing a shared vision.

2. Storming – Conflict & Frustration

• As roles take shape, differences in opinions and work styles emerge, leading to potential tension.
• Conflicts, competition, and misalignment can slow team progress if not managed effectively.
• The leader’s role is to navigate disagreements, reinforce team strengths, and encourage constructive dialogue.

3. Norming – Increased Cooperation & Stability

• Team members begin trusting each other and collaborating more effectively.
• Norms, expectations, and shared goals become clearer and more embedded in daily work.
• Leaders should reinforce positive team behaviours and ensure everyone is playing to their strengths.

4. Performing – High Productivity & Autonomy

• The team reaches peak performance, operating efficiently with minimal supervision.
• Problem-solving, decision-making, and execution are seamless.
• Leadership’s role shifts from directing to facilitating and sustaining success.

5. Adjourning – Closure & Transition

• The team completes its objectives and disbands.
• Reflection, feedback, and celebrating achievements are essential to maintaining long-term professional relationships.
• Leaders should help members transition to new teams or projects while recognising their contributions.

Key Takeaway: Teams can get stuck at any stage—strong leadership is essential to keep the team progressing toward peak performance.

2. How to Apply a Strengths-Based Approach at Each Stage

A strengths-based approach accelerates progress by leveraging individual and team strengths, ensuring smoother transitions between Tuckman’s stages.

Forming: Identify and Align Strengths Early

In Forming, uncertainty is high, and team members look to the leader for guidance. Without structure, teams risk confusion and disengagement.

Strengths-Based Leadership Actions:

• Identify individual strengths early through strengths assessments or discussions.
• Assign initial responsibilities based on strengths to build confidence and early wins.
• Create structured opportunities for team members to get to know each other’s strengths.

Example Aligned to Tuckman: A newly formed cross-functional project team struggled with clarity around roles. By mapping out individual strengths, the manager quickly identified who was best suited for which tasks, easing early-stage uncertainty.

Storming: Use Strengths to Navigate Conflict

In Storming, conflicts arise as team members assert their opinions, work styles, and leadership preferences. Without intervention, teams may stagnate or break apart.

Strengths-Based Leadership Actions:

• Reframe conflicts as strengths differences—help team members see that varied perspectives are an asset, not a problem.
• Encourage open, strengths-based communication to resolve misunderstandings.
• Guide the team toward complementary collaboration by pairing members with complementary strengths.

Example Aligned to Tuckman: A team undergoing a reorganisation was experiencing internal resistance and disagreements over new processes. By acknowledging and leveraging individual strengths, the manager helped the team see how each person's contributions added value, fostering cooperation.

Norming: Reinforce Strengths & Team Trust

By Norming, the team is becoming more cohesive, productive, and aligned—but leaders must reinforce these emerging positive behaviours to solidify progress.

Strengths-Based Leadership Actions:

• Recognise and celebrate individual contributions to strengthen team trust.
• Ensure team members are working in roles that align with their strengths.
• Encourage peer coaching and mentorship to sustain team cohesion.

Example Aligned to Tuckman: A remote team had successfully moved past conflicts but needed a stronger sense of connection. The manager set up a “strengths-sharing” initiative, where employees shared how they best contribute to the team, further reinforcing trust.

Performing: Maximise Strengths for High Performance

In Performing, teams reach peak productivity—leaders should now focus on sustaining momentum and preparing for the future.

Strengths-Based Leadership Actions:

• Provide development opportunities that align with individual strengths to keep engagement high.
• Encourage autonomy while ensuring that support systems remain in place.
• Refine processes to maximise efficiency while keeping team strengths in mind.

Example Aligned to Tuckman: A high-performing marketing team was at risk of complacency. The manager introduced stretch assignments aligned with team members’ strengths to keep engagement and motivation high.

Adjourning: Reflect on Strengths & Transition Smoothly

As the team disbands or transitions, leaders should focus on celebrating achievements and ensuring a positive closure.

Strengths-Based Leadership Actions:

• Host a structured reflection session to discuss team successes and areas for improvement.
• Celebrate individual and collective achievements to reinforce a strengths-based culture.
• Help team members plan for their next steps using their strengths.

Example Aligned to Tuckman: A research team completing a major project held a “strengths debrief”, where each member reflected on how their strengths contributed to the team’s success, providing valuable insights for future collaborations.

3. Practical Tips for Managers to Support Each Stage

• Use coaching strategies at every stage – Strength-based coaching accelerates team development.
• Incorporate Strengthify’s Discovery Workshops – Helps teams understand their strengths early and avoid storming delays.
• Measure progress – Track how well your team is moving through stages with regular feedback loops.

🚀 Explore Strengthify’s tailored team solutions.

Conclusion: Strengths-Based Leadership Creates High-Performing Teams

Mastering Tuckman’s Stages of Team Development makes managers more effective leaders. By aligning strengths with team progression, leaders can:

• Reduce conflict and move through storming faster.
• Build high-trust teams that sustain performance.
• Maximise individual potential while ensuring collective success.

🚀 Ready to lead your team through every stage successfully? Learn how Strengthify’s expert-led programmes can help.