DREIESKIVA​|Roald Kvam

Strong performance is the ultimate goal for most organizations, and CEOs often focus on strategy, execution, and results to achieve it. However, many overlook a critical factor that underpins organizational success: the health of their leadership team. Dysfunction within this team can create significant obstacles to achieving strategic goals, stifling productivity, decision-making, and morale.

Leadership team dysfunction often falls into three common patterns: the shark tank, characterized by infighting and political maneuvering; the petting zoo, characterized by conflict avoidance and overemphasis on collaboration; and the mediocracy, characterized by complacency, incompetence, and a fixation on past success. To foster a high-performing leadership team, it’s essential to diagnose these dynamics and implement targeted strategies for improvement.

The Shark Tank: When Competition Becomes Destructive

In a shark tank dynamic, the leadership team operates in an environment rife with infighting, competition, and political maneuvering. Members prioritize individual agendas, power struggles, and personal gain over collective success. Meetings become battlegrounds, and trust erodes as leaders view each other as threats rather than allies.

Key signs of the shark tank include:

• Frequent Conflicts: Disagreements escalate into personal attacks or power plays rather than constructive debates.
• Lack of Trust: Leaders hoard information, question each other’s intentions, or undermine decisions made by the group.
• Misaligned Priorities: Team members focus on their own departments’ goals at the expense of broader organizational objectives.

The shark tank dynamic creates a toxic environment that drains energy and undermines collaboration. Decisions are delayed, execution suffers, and employees across the organization may adopt similar behaviors, spreading dysfunction beyond the leadership team.

How to Fix It:

1. Build Trust:
   • Foster open communication and vulnerability by encouraging leaders to share their challenges and seek support from one another.
   • Use trust-building exercises and facilitated discussions to break down barriers and rebuild relationships.
2. Clarify Collective Goals:
   • Establish shared objectives that require collaboration and mutual accountability.
   • Ensure that individual success is tied to the team’s overall performance, incentivizing alignment.
3. Establish Clear Norms:
   • Develop rules of engagement for resolving conflicts constructively.
   • Create a culture where healthy debate is encouraged, but personal attacks and political behavior are not tolerated.

The Petting Zoo: When Harmony Stifles Progress

At the opposite end of the spectrum lies the petting zoo, where the leadership team prioritizes harmony and collaboration at the expense of progress and accountability. While conflict is minimal, so is candor. Leaders avoid difficult conversations, sidestep disagreements, and shy away from making tough decisions.

Key signs of the petting zoo include:

• Conflict Avoidance: Leaders hesitate to challenge each other, even when disagreements exist.
• Overemphasis on Collaboration: Consensus becomes the default approach, even when it leads to inefficiency or diluted decisions.
• Indecisiveness: Fear of upsetting the balance prevents the team from making bold or timely decisions.

While the petting zoo may feel pleasant on the surface, it fosters stagnation and a lack of innovation. Critical issues go unaddressed, and decisions lack the rigor required to drive meaningful progress. Over time, the organization may fall behind competitors that embrace constructive conflict and decisive action.

How to Fix It:

1. Encourage Constructive Conflict:
   • Train the team to see conflict as a valuable tool for innovation and better decision-making.
   • Use structured frameworks, such as Patrick Lencioni’s «Five Dysfunctions of a Team,» to guide conversations about productive conflict.
2. Foster Candor and Feedback:
   • Normalize candid feedback by making it a regular part of team interactions.
   • Reward leaders who challenge ideas respectfully and focus on achieving the best outcomes for the organization.
3. Empower Decision-Making:
   • Define clear decision-making processes, including when consensus is required and when individual leaders can make final calls.
   • Set deadlines for decisions to prevent analysis paralysis and ensure forward momentum.

The Mediocracy: When Complacency and Incompetence Take Root

In the mediocracy, the leadership team is marked by complacency, lack of competence, and an unhealthy focus on past successes. Members may rest on their laurels, resist change, and fail to bring fresh ideas or perspectives to the table. This dynamic often arises when leaders lack the skills or motivation to drive continuous improvement.

Key signs of the mediocracy include:

• Resistance to Change: Leaders dismiss new ideas or cling to outdated approaches.
• Lack of Innovation: The team recycles old strategies instead of seeking creative solutions.
• Skills Gap: Team members lack the expertise or adaptability needed to address emerging challenges.

The mediocracy leads to stagnation and declining performance over time. As competitors innovate and adapt, the organization risks losing relevance in its industry. The team’s complacency also demoralizes high-performing employees who crave growth and challenge.

How to Fix It:

1. Set a New Vision:
   • Reignite the team’s sense of purpose by articulating a compelling vision for the future.
   • Challenge the team to think beyond past successes and focus on what’s possible.
2. Upgrade Skills and Talent:
   • Invest in leadership development programs to build critical skills and capabilities.
   • Consider bringing in new talent with fresh perspectives and expertise to complement the existing team.
3. Embrace Continuous Improvement:
   • Establish a culture of learning by encouraging experimentation, reflection, and feedback.
   • Celebrate efforts to innovate, even when they don’t immediately succeed, to reinforce a growth-oriented mindset.

Diagnosing Leadership Team Dynamics

Diagnosing the dynamics of a leadership team is the first step toward addressing dysfunction. Here are some tools and strategies to help identify issues:

1. Conduct Team Assessments:
   • Use surveys or assessments, such as the Team Effectiveness Profile or Lencioni’s «Five Dysfunctions of a Team» framework, to evaluate trust, communication, and alignment.
2. Observe Team Interactions:
   • Pay attention to how the team interacts during meetings. Are they openly discussing challenges, or avoiding conflict? Is there evidence of political behavior or complacency?
3. Seek Feedback:
   • Gather feedback from team members and employees about the leadership team’s effectiveness.
4. Work with a Facilitator:
   • Engage an external consultant or coach to provide objective insights and guide the team through the diagnosis and improvement process.

Strategies for Improvement

Once a team’s dynamics have been diagnosed, targeted interventions can help address dysfunction and improve performance:

• Build Psychological Safety: Ensure team members feel safe to speak up, share ideas, and take risks without fear of judgment or retaliation.
• Establish Clear Goals and Roles: Align the team around shared objectives and clarify each member’s responsibilities.
• Foster Accountability: Hold leaders accountable for their commitments and contributions to the team’s success.
• Create a Culture of Feedback: Encourage regular, constructive feedback to promote learning and growth.

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Leadership teams are the driving force behind organizational success, but their effectiveness hinges on their ability to collaborate, adapt, and lead with purpose. By diagnosing and addressing dysfunction—whether it manifests as the shark tank, petting zoo, or mediocracy—leaders can create a healthier, more productive team dynamic.

Through trust-building, conflict resolution, and a commitment to continuous improvement, leadership teams can overcome dysfunction and unlock their full potential, driving both individual and organizational success.