The State of Teams - Why 80% of Leadership Teams Flounder
In my previous newsletter, I shared, based on a decade of data from coaching leadership teams, 80% of teams flounder more than flourish.
What distinguishes a floundering team from a flourishing one?
Floundering teams adopt an internal win–lose mindset.
Power is used over each other, not with each other.
Competition inside the team is fiercer than competition outside.
Dominant voices hijack meetings, conversations center on “me, my, I” rather than “you, us, our.”
Most energy is spent firefighting day-to-day operations, leaving little time for strategic thinking or coordination.
The result? Floundering teams operate at less than the sum of their parts.
Flourishing teams, by contrast, build a culture of humility, excellence, and learning.
They come together, stay together, and achieve together.
They share a “win-for-all” mindset—even when apart.
A unifying purpose guides them: serving something greater than themselves.
They adopt common ways of working, hold each other accountable, and learn continuously from both victories and failures.
The result? Flourishing teams perform at more than the sum of their parts.
The #1 reason teams flounder
Despite their potential power, high-performing teams remain rare. The most common reason - team members don’t feel safe. They hold back from speaking their truth, challenging each other, or naming the undiscussables.
Research by Amy Edmondson, author of Teaming, shows eight conditions that destroy psychological safety:
Mistakes are held against you
Problems and tough topics are avoided
Different views are dismissed
New ideas are discouraged
Asking for help is rare
Initiative is undermined
Unique talents are undervalued
Blame, defensiveness, and excuses prevail
Making It Safer by Being Braver
Others may make it harder for us to feel safe, but only we can make it safer for ourselves. This requires courage.
In my work with leadership teams, members choose bravery. Here are 3 ways to make it safe by being brave:
Sense your fear - notice and acknowledge it. Fear is natural and normal.
Share your fear - vulnerability is strength. By naming your fear, you normalise it and invite others’ to normalise theirs.
Speak from your fear - don’t let fear silence you; let it guide you. Speaking your truth is not about claiming it’s the truth, but ensuring your perspective is heard. Creativity and learning emerge from holding multiple truths at once.
INVITATION
To support your team’s transition to become a more high-performing collaborative team and deliver the organisation’s most critical outcomes, make a start here:
1. Read this article – Why we get stuck in difficult conversations.
2. Get your copy of the Guide to Discussing the Undiscussables.
3. Learn more about the Masterclass - How to Discuss the Undiscussables.
Nothing can ever be resolved or worked through in silence. Rather than choose to stay safe in concealing, choose to be brave by revealing.
May you flourish.