Who’s Steering the Ship? The Danger of Neglecting Leadership Team Accountability
Who’s Steering the Ship? The Danger of Neglecting Leadership Team Accountability
obijames
I spent the day with a new senior leadership team coaching client tackling one of the biggest challenges of leadership: balancing the demands of their individual departments with their collective responsibility for the organisation.
It’s a struggle every executive team faces, but when it’s not prioritised, the cost can be staggering.
Think of a football team. Every player has their own club, their own style, and their own strategies. But to represent their country, they step out of their silos. They come together, train as a team, learn each other’s strengths, and work out how to play as one.
Without this time and effort, they’ll never succeed on the world stage – no matter how talented they are individually. The same is true for senior leadership teams – who have to lead the organisation ALL THE TIME!
When senior leaders stay focused only on their own “clubs” – their departments or parts of the business – they risk silos, missed opportunities, and a fractured organisation.
We’ve seen it happen. Remember Nokia? Once a global powerhouse, they were undone by poor communication and a lack of coordination and alignment at the top.
So, is your senior leadership team a collection of high-performing leaders – but not a high-performing team?
Great teams don’t just happen. They’re built intentionally, with care, trust, and a shared purpose. And when leaders commit to that, the results speak for themselves. Today, this team worked hard on their interdependence:
- ️How do they lean on each other, share best practices, and shape the culture they want to see? ️
- How do they ensure they’re not just managing departments but truly leading an organisation?
- How do they cross-sell, ensure retention of all talent, succession plan and collectively own their people agenda? ️
My role as their team coach is to develop them to ask the hard questions, challenge one another constructively and hold themselves accountable to the collective success they’re responsible for.
Great organisations aren’t built on individual brilliance alone. They’re built on the ability of leaders to come together, align their efforts, and lead as one. So, is your leadership team truly working together – or just excelling apart?
