Bill had always prided himself on hiring top talent. His senior leadership team—his First Team—was stacked with accomplished executives, each a proven leader in their own right. But something wasn’t clicking.
Board meetings felt disjointed. Major initiatives stalled in execution. And when conflicts arose between departments, his leaders acted more like individual operators than a cohesive team.
One evening, Bill sat in his office long after everyone had left, staring at the whiteboard where he had mapped out the company’s ambitious three-year strategy. The plan was solid. The opportunity was real. But one thought kept gnawing at him:
“Do I truly have a First Team—or just a collection of high-performing individuals?”
That night, he committed to turning his leadership team into a true First Team.
1. Team Composition: Do You Have the Right Players?
The first hard truth hit Bill fast: a growing company often outgrows its leaders.
Some of his executives had been with him since the early days. They were loyal, hardworking, and deeply invested in the company’s success. But were they still the right fit?
🔹 Are they “A” players for today’s challenges?
🔹 Do they bring the skills and mindset to meet the company’s evolving needs?
He realized that sentimentality couldn’t drive decision-making. A high-performing First Team wasn’t just about loyalty; it was about having the right people in the right seats.
Bill made a tough but necessary decision—he needed to make changes. Over the next few months, he re-evaluated each leader, upgraded where needed, and ensured that every executive was capable of driving the company forward.
2. Teamwork Practices: Is Your First Team Truly a Team?
Bill had assumed that putting strong leaders in a room together would naturally lead to collaboration. He was wrong.
His First Team wasn’t really a team at all—it was a group of department heads, each focused on their own function.
Instead of working together to solve the company’s biggest challenges, they operated in silos, reporting to him individually rather than collaborating as a unit.
To shift the dynamic, Bill took three critical steps:
✅ Reframed the First Team’s Purpose – He made it clear that their role wasn’t just to lead departments but to lead the entire company together.
✅ Prioritized Team Over Individuality – The success of one leader meant nothing if the group as a whole wasn’t aligned. He made the First Team the “star” rather than the individuals.
✅ Unified Problem-Solving – Instead of meeting separately with each leader, he brought them together to tackle the company’s biggest challenges as a team.
Slowly but surely, he saw a shift. Conversations became richer. Finger-pointing decreased. Leaders started holding each other accountable instead of relying on him to mediate.
For the first time, Bill had a true First Team.
3. Operating Rhythm: How Does Your First Team Spend Their Time?
Despite progress, there was one persistent issue—too many meetings with too little impact.
His executives constantly complained:
“I’m in too many meetings that waste my time!”
“We spend all our time in discussions, but execution suffers!”
Bill realized that without a structured operating rhythm, even the best teams fall into chaos.
So, he mapped out a deliberate cadence for how and when his First Team met:
🔹 Yearly & Quarterly Offsites – To realign on strategy, revisit priorities, and assess team performance.
🔹 Monthly Executive Meetings – Focused on solving company-wide challenges, not status updates.
🔹 Weekly Leadership Syncs – Short, high-impact meetings to maintain alignment and execution.
By shifting from reactive meetings to a structured rhythm, he eliminated wasted time and ensured that his team focused on strategic, high-value work.
A CEO’s Responsibility: Own Your First Team’s Success
As Bill reflected on the transformation, he realized something profound:
Building a high-performing First Team wasn’t just an HR function—it was his job as CEO.
He could delegate many things, but the strength, alignment, and effectiveness of his First Team were solely his responsibility.
Now, it’s your turn. Ask yourself:
✔ Do I have the right leadership team for the future?
✔ Are we functioning as a true team—or just individual operators?
✔ Is our operating rhythm designed for strategic execution, not just meetings?
A CEO’s legacy isn’t just measured by revenue growth or market share. It’s defined by the strength of the team they build.
Your First Team will make or break your company. What will you do to ensure they rise to the challenge?success of your company. Focus your attention where it matters most—because only you, the CEO, can do that.