First Team
Strategy Execution by Design Series
Lever 1: Trust & Leadership
Element 1: First Team
“Whose team are you really on?”
I asked that question to a group of senior leaders and they looked puzzled. One finally said, “My team? Thats my direct reports.”
And there it was.....
The truth is, I see this all the time. Leaders who instinctively look down to their second team, not across to their peers. The executive table becomes a collection of portfolios, not a leadership team.
Sounds harmless? It isn’t.
Here’s what happens when peers aren’t your first team:
- Decisions get made in silos, and strategy turns into horse-trading.
- Everyone optimises for their patch instead of the whole business.
- Consistency slips, execution fragments, and trust quietly erodes.
- There is not one source of truth, each leader has their own agenda sending an inconsistent and disjointed message to the business.
Patrick Lencioni calls this the first team mindset. When leaders see their peers as their true team, trade-offs get surfaced, decisions stick, and alignment cascades.
INSEAD research backs this up - many leadership teams don’t even agree on who’s in the team. No wonder competing agendas dominate.
And trust? That’s the glue. Without it, leaders avoid tough conversations or play for approval. With it, collaboration replaces rivalry and resources flow where they’re needed.
But here’s the kicker: alignment isn’t built in a single off-site. It’s sustained through daily habits, peer coaching, open dashboards, and deliberately investing in the leadership team as a team.
So let me ask you: Do your see your peers as your first team… or your competition?
Because building a stronger leadership team isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the foundation of effective strategy and culture. And once you’ve nailed it at the top table, you’re far better equipped to set up your second team for success.
Engage with this post on LinkedIn:
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