"Trust typically builds over time, but you can accelerate the process by introducing vulnerability in a structured, impactful way. When I worked with a newly restructured leadership team at a utilities company, we used a simple but powerful exercise: Each team member shared their top strengths and the 'dark side' of those strengths—how overusing them or applying them in the wrong context could create challenges. This practice helped teammates better understand one another, seeing both the assets and the potential pitfalls of what each person brings to the table."
"Leadership teams often stumble because they lack agreed-upon norms for decision-making and conflict navigation. Without these 'rules of engagement,' small misunderstandings and unspoken misalignment can fester into larger issues. Consider a leadership team at an EdTech company where meetings were painfully quiet, filled with passive updates and polite nodding. Through one-on-one interviews, the root cause emerged: conflict avoidance. Team members, especially those who didn't keep quiet, felt unable to voice their opinions or engage in necessary debates."
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