When Sarah became CEO of a fast-growing tech company, she assumed her leadership team was aligned. After all, they were seasoned executives, each an expert in their domain. But cracks quickly began to show.
Product development was moving in one direction, while sales was making promises that couldn’t be fulfilled. The CFO was focused on cost-cutting, while operations struggled with inefficiencies no one seemed willing to address. Strategy meetings felt like a game of competing agendas rather than a unified force working toward a shared vision.
Sarah could feel the frustration mounting—not just within her team but across the entire company. Execution was slow, accountability was lacking, and despite everyone working hard, they weren’t working together. It wasn’t until a costly product delay threatened their biggest customer relationship that Sarah realized the root of the problem: her leadership team wasn’t truly aligned.
She needed to fix this. Fast.
The Three Breakthroughs That Changed Everything
Determined to turn things around, Sarah focused on three key pillars to rebuild trust, clarity, and execution within her leadership team.
1. Unified Vision & Priorities: Getting Everyone on the Same Page
Sarah started by gathering her executive team and asking a simple yet revealing question: What are the company’s top three priorities for the next 12 months?
The responses varied wildly. Some focused on revenue growth, others on innovation, while a few prioritized operational efficiencies. It was clear—without a shared understanding of what mattered most, decisions were being made in silos, leading to misalignment at every level.
Sarah and her team took the time to align on a clear, company-wide vision. They established non-negotiable priorities and ensured every leader understood how their decisions impacted the broader strategy.
✅ Lesson learned: When everyone is working toward the same goals, execution accelerates.
2. Radical Candor & Trust: Creating Space for Honest Conversations
Next, Sarah tackled a more uncomfortable challenge—communication and trust. She realized that her team was avoiding tough conversations, letting conflicts simmer instead of addressing them head-on. This avoidance was stalling progress.
She introduced a new expectation: radical candor—where team members committed to giving and receiving honest feedback with the shared goal of making the company better. It wasn’t easy at first, but over time, a culture of transparency took hold. Leaders began holding each other accountable, discussing challenges openly, and working through conflicts rather than around them.
✅ Lesson learned: A leadership team that trusts each other moves faster and executes better.
3. Cross-Functional Execution: Breaking Down Silos
With alignment and trust improving, Sarah turned her attention to execution. Even though her executives were now working toward the same vision, execution still felt sluggish. The culprit? Departmental silos.
She restructured leadership meetings to focus on cross-functional collaboration. Leaders were no longer just responsible for their department’s success—they were accountable for company-wide outcomes. They started solving problems together, reallocating resources where needed, and ensuring no team was operating in isolation.
The impact was immediate: decisions were made faster, bottlenecks were removed, and execution became seamless.
✅ Lesson learned: A truly aligned First Team drives execution across the entire organization.
The Shift from Chaos to Clarity
Months later, Sarah saw the transformation firsthand. Revenue was up, execution was smoother, and employee engagement had improved. But the biggest win? Her leadership team had become a unified force, leading with clarity, trust, and accountability.
She realized that First Team alignment wasn’t just a leadership best practice—it was the foundation for operational excellence. And for any CEO looking to scale, grow, and compete in today’s fast-moving market, it wasn’t optional. It was essential.
Your Leadership Team Is Your Company’s Engine—Is It Running Smoothly?
If your leadership team isn’t fully aligned, you’re not alone—but you are at risk. Take a moment to reflect:
🔹 Do all of your leaders share the same vision and priorities?
🔹 Are they comfortable giving and receiving honest feedback?
🔹 Is cross-functional collaboration driving execution, or are silos slowing things down?
The difference between struggling to execute and outperforming competitors often comes down to one thing: First Team alignment.
Is your First Team working as one?