How do you diagnose and resolve leadership team misalignment when growth stalls?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a company's growth stalls, often the root cause isn't market conditions but rather a fundamental misalignment within the leadership team. As highlighted in EOS principles, a cohesive leadership team is paramount for sustained growth. The first step in diagnosing misalignment is to collaboratively answer the 'Eight Questions' that form the foundation of the Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO), as outlined in "Want to Align Your Company Vision? Answer These 8 Questions With Your Leadership Team." These questions cover core values, niche, 10-year target, marketing strategy, 3-year picture, 1-year plan, rocks, and issues list. If there's significant disagreement or a lack of clarity on any of these, you've identified a misalignment point.

Resolution requires disciplined execution and communication. First, ensure everyone is 100% on board with the company's Core Values. These values should guide all decisions and behaviors, acting as the 'guardrails' for the team. Next, work through each of the V/TO's eight questions until there's true consensus, not just compliance. This often means facilitating open, honest discussions in a structured setting, such as a quarterly or annual planning meeting. The 'Issues List' from the V/TO becomes critical here; actively address the disagreements and concerns brought up by team members. As Gino Wickman emphasizes, building a strong leadership team means having the right people in the right seats, unified around a clear vision. If the team can't agree on where they're going or how they're getting there, growth will inevitably suffer. Sometimes, resolving misalignment might even involve making difficult 'People' decisions, ensuring everyone on the team not only 'gets it' and 'wants it' but also 'has the capacity to do it' within the company's culture and vision. Peer advisory rooms can be invaluable in providing objective perspectives and tools for diagnosing and resolving such internal conflicts, fostering accountability among leaders.