As a leader, this is a question worth asking: are you leading a team of leaders or a leadership team? This isn’t a question of semantics. This is the difference between division heads rowing in different directions and a team rowing together, guided by a shared vision, goals, and organizational priorities.
A team of leaders remains siloed, with each member working hard to meet their own goals, and often quite protective of their turf. They may celebrate one another’s wins, but they rarely make decisions with the whole organization in mind or ask, “How will this impact others?”
A leadership team, on the other hand, understands their interdependence. They don’t just run their divisions; they feel responsibility for the success of the entire organization. Leadership teams clarify the what, co-create the how, commit to the why, and connect the right people to make it all happen.
Leadership teams know the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, whereas the priorities of a team of leaders begin and end with #1.
Frustrated By His Team of Leaders
A recent client came to me frustrated. He had a group of strong leaders heading up each of his divisions. They were experts in their fields, capable, and hardworking individuals. But, in his words, “they just didn’t get it.”
Despite what they had going for them, my client’s frustrations stemmed from these missing pieces:
- His leaders were not thinking organizationally.
- They were burrowed in their own silos, fighting for their personal agendas and protecting their turf.
- They were missing chances to collaborate and find efficiency gains; seemingly unaware of the great opportunities for the whole and their individual teams, if they worked to understand each other.
This client’s frustrations were not unique. This issue of needing leaders to “think organizationally” is one that I encounter routinely: at the leadership table, all are talented, but they aren’t operating as a leadership team. Instead, leaders push for what benefits their group, acts unilaterally in accordance with their own needs, and have “meetings after the meeting” with their boss to talk about what they really think. Usually unknowingly, they are working against the greater good of the organization.
On this team, as is often the case, trust was thin. Suspicion was high. Collaboration occurred only when mandated, and then it was like pulling teeth and typically ended with nothing new, no changes, and no next steps.
Important decisions – like drafting the annual budget – were historically approached with a “protect-your-own” and “hold your cards close” mindset, and ended in arguments and my client ultimately making all the decisions.
When we started leadership team coaching, there was a palapable feeling of “here we go again” by the group. They had sat through plenty of trainings and worked with another coach previously, but nothing changed.
Fortunately, they were still willing to give it a go with me, albeit with skepticism.
We used assessments to uncover perceptions, strengths, and blind spots across the leadership group. Then, through a series of team coaching sessions, shared learning experiences, structured peer coaching, and some 1-1 coaching, things began to shift.
The Turning Point
More quickly than they expected, meaningful cross-functional relationships started developing. This was promising and gave the momentum to keep going. In short order, these leaders began to see through a lens of not just their own silo, but the organization as a whole.
Outside of coaching sessions, they started identifying opportunities to collaborate for greater efficiency – identifying opportunities to share resources including information and people.
In coaching sessions, they aligned on shared priorities. They talked little about their own needs and much about “our organizational needs.” And, they crafted SMART action plans around what they would do as a cohesive team between sessions and beyond.
The team worked out how, when, and what they would communicate; why consistency was important; and what the organization would gain from their new leadership commitments…
They were undeniably transforming from a team of leaders to a leadership team.
One Significant Outcome
One significant breakthrough came when the team accomplished something they had never managed before: they established their annual budget together, ahead of schedule, with no arguing and no turf battles.
For the first time on a project of this magnitude, their discussions weren’t driven by silo protection. They prioritized the needs of the organization as a whole. And to his surprise and pleasure, their boss did not have to make decisions for them.
Successfully completing the annual budget as a unified team became a tangible symbol of their growth from a team of leaders into a leadership team. And this was just the beginning.
What Changed?
These leaders were always skilled and competent as individuals. The difference now was the collective mindset and behaviors they were cultivating:
- Trust replaced competition. Instead of guarding information they spoke openly, listened to each other, and truly considered differing views.
- Shared learning replaced assumptions. Leaders took time to understand more about their colleagues’ divisions, and they learned and experimented with new leadership tools together.
- Collaboration replaced silos. They sought opportunities to align, consulted around cause / affect, and brainstormed to find improvements (for their teams and customers) across division lines.
- Organizational vision replaced self-preservation. Decisions were tested against:
- Who else needs to be involved?
- Who else might be impacted?
- What’s best for all involved?
- Who has accountability for what and by when?
By the end of our time together, this former team of leaders was working together as a leadership team and achieving better outcomes, more quickly. It wasn’t perfect (what is?), but I left a very different team than I entered – in all the ways a leadership coach would hope! 😊
Tips for Transforming a Team of Leaders to a Leadership Team
If you’re leading a group of strong, capable individuals but you’re struggling to unite them, here are a few actions to help shift your leadership culture:
- Objectively assess the current reality
Start by holding up a mirror. Use a leadership assessment, confidential interviews and/or facilitated team sessions to objectively assess the current state. Accurate awareness v. assumptions is the first step to creating impactful change.
- Establish a shared vision and goals
Clarity is the antidote to division. Engage your leaders in defining what success looks like for the organization as a whole. Then align divisional goals to that bigger picture. This gives all a direct line of sight to how their teams collectively drive overall results, and where interdependencies live.
- Build trust through vulnerability and intentional connection
Leaders won’t collaborate without trust. Create space for real conversations about challenges, priorities, and even failures. When leaders understand challenges and believe they can rely on one another, they shift from protecting themselves to supporting the team.
- Create structures for collaboration
Peer coaching, cross-functional planning, and joint problem-solving sessions break down silos and foster interdependence. When leaders regularly communicate and collaborate outside their own lanes, they connect to the bigger picture and think organizationally.
- Measure success at the organizational level
If leaders are only rewarded for their division’s performance, silos will persist. Balance divisional metrics with organization-wide measures of success, to support the concept that no one exists as an island within the organization.
The Wrap
At first glance, it may seem like a subtle distinction: a team of leaders versus a leadership team. But the impact of this kind of transformation is profound.
A team of leaders carries out a lot of action. But a leadership team harnesses their collective wisdom and strength to innovate, achieve more than they knew they could, and support a culture of trust and accountability.
My client’s story is one example of what’s possible when leaders from the top-seat-down start rowing together, united by common goals, clear expectations, and a shared vision.
As we wrap, I encourage you to ask yourself this question: Am I working with a team of leaders or a leadership team? Your answer is at the heart of your culture and your organizational results.
The executive and leadership development coaches at PERSPECTIVES specialize in helping strong leaders create the culture they need to support the results they want.
If you’re ready to build a leadership team that works as one – aligned, accountable, and effective – reach out for a free consultation. Let’s partner to create what’s possible!
