Beyond the Individual: The Real Work of Leadership Teams
Leadership has long been viewed as an individual pursuit—the ability to strategize, inspire, and make confident decisions.
But in today’s increasingly complex work environment, individual excellence alone isn’t enough. The most effective organizations are led by leaders who know how to team.
What Is Teaming?
Teaming is more than collaboration. It’s the intentional way a leadership group works together to navigate complexity, hold space for difference, and make progress rooted in shared priorities.
When a leadership team is clear, connected, and committed to how they operate together, everything else gets easier. Decision-making becomes cleaner, communication more direct, and outcomes more aligned. And when teaming is neglected? Progress stalls, meetings lose focus, and accountability wobbles.
Where Leadership Teams Get Stuck
In my work as an executive coach focused on team effectiveness, I regularly see strong leaders dealing with familiar friction points:
Unclear decision-making authority – Who decides what, and when?
Surface-level conversations – Prioritizing harmony over honesty
Overemphasis on individual performance – Team outcomes take a back seat
Inconsistent rhythm – Meetings that lack structure and follow-through
These are common patterns. And they are entirely workable with the right focus.
What High-Functioning Leadership Teams Practice
The best leadership teams don’t just perform. They practice.
They invest in:
Shared clarity around goals, roles, and process
Productive tension that sharpens insight instead of avoiding discomfort
Aligned decision-making with clearly defined roles and accountability
Collective ownership of team culture—not just delegated from the top
None of these habits happen automatically. They’re built through intentional effort, shared language, and consistent learning together.
Why Team Coaching Makes a Difference
Team coaching gives leaders the space to reflect, reset, and recommit. It supports honest conversations, helping teams:
Name what’s not being said
Revisit assumptions
Clarify expectations
Reconnect to shared purpose
Every team I coach starts in a different place. Some need more structure. Others are navigating tension or transition. Some just need a reset.
What they all share is a desire to lead with more ease, cohesion, and integrity.
Great leadership doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in teams.
If your leadership team is facing complexity, growth, or change—and you're ready to strengthen how you work together—this work is for you.
Ready to explore what stronger teaming could look like for your leadership team?
Schedule an exploration call to see how team coaching can support your goals—and help your team lead with greater clarity, trust, and momentum.
Liv Olson is an executive coach and facilitator specializing in team effectiveness. She partners with financial services leaders and their teams to cultivate clarity, confidence, and connection in leadership.