In our latest podcast episode, ‘Top Team Troubles’, I sat down with Carra Bosworth to unpack the real challenges leadership teams are grappling with right now. This article dives deeper into that conversation and explores why alignment at the top matters more than ever.
“What is a crack in that team becomes a chasm in the organisation, and it just causes confusion.” To listen to the full conversation, click here.
Being a part of a top team in an organisation, whether UK-based or global, is not for the faint-hearted. This isn't just about external challenges. Internally, the way a senior team operates sends ripples, sometimes shockwaves, throughout the organisation. A lack of alignment at the top can fracture clarity across layers of leadership, leaving entire workforces confused and disengaged.
The Power, and the Risk of Senior Leadership
There’s immense power in a top team that’s aligned, decisive, and clear in its purpose. And the reverse is just as real. Misalignment, even if subtle, magnifies as it cascades down.
“If different members of the team are telling different stories… even if it's a slight change in perception, it can be huge.”
That inconsistency creates narrative gaps, and these small inconsistencies can, over time, become chasmic disconnects across departments, functions, and even cultures within the business.
False Harmony and the Perception Trap
Even teams that appear harmonious may be far from aligned. There's a risk of “false harmony”, where everyone is polite, agreeable, and seemingly united… but difficult conversations are being avoided.
“Everybody's playing nice… but actually, no challenge happens in that team.”
When challenge is absent, so is growth. A top team must move beyond surface-level unity to deep, honest alignment. Otherwise, unspoken tensions become misunderstandings, and misunderstandings become cracks in the organisation.
The Role of Courage and Clarity
True alignment isn't about avoiding conflict. It’s about being brave enough to surface tensions and work through them.
“You have to be brave… can we unpack what happened in that situation?”
That level of openness fosters trust. And trust leads to unity. Only when a team is truly aligned internally can it present a unified, coherent message externally.
“If you're going to disagree, do it within this room, and when you go out the door—align.”
Moving Forward & Avoiding Chasms
So how do we avoid those cracks turning into chasms?
- Align on Purpose: “Do they really know what they're there to do as a team?” That purpose must be explicit, not assumed.
- Challenge with Compassion: Create space for honest, respectful disagreement.
- Tell One Story: Make it consistent. Own the narrative.
- Rebuild Trust Where Needed: Don’t let assumptions fester.
We often remind top teams: you are the lens through which the organisation sees itself. If that lens is fractured, even slightly, the entire image distorts. Cracks in a senior team don’t just stay within four walls. They echo outward, weakening confidence, direction, and unity. But with the right conversations, alignment, and courage, those cracks can be fixed, before they ever become chasms.
To find out more, listen to the full conversation below. If you’d like to see our Top Team Troubles research in our latest eBook, click here.
