7 Steps to building a high-performing leadership team

A leadership team has the potential to be the strategic engine of an entire organisation. Yet lack of alignment, inefficiency, and slow decision-making often prevent teams from fulfilling their mandate. Below are some of the most common mistakes leadership teams make – and how to avoid them. 

It is not as simple as bringing together a group of high-performing individuals and expecting exceptional outcomes. Without shared clarity around roles, goals, and the path forward, no team can reach its full potential. In that sense, leadership teams are no different from any other team. 

Karin Andrén, licensed psychologist and Regional Manager at Assessio South, works with leadership teams to help them become more effective and cohesive. It is not uncommon for once high-functioning teams to stagnate after a few years unless they receive fresh energy or input from outside. The opposite can also happen – a team may have welcomed several new members and now needs to rebuild cohesion. 

“A classic mistake is failing to recognise the potential of the leadership team as a strategic engine for the whole organisation. Teams simply do not take the time to define how they want to work together or how to bring out the best in one another. Many leadership teams fall into silo thinking, where each leader focuses only on their own business area instead of taking joint responsibility for the bigger picture,”  – Karin Andrén 

How to make your leadership team more effective – Karin Andrén’s seven best tips 

1. Establish a shared foundation 

For a leadership team to succeed, members must have a shared understanding of the team’s mandate. Invest time in discussing the team’s goals, purpose, and roles so everyone knows what is expected – both of themselves and of the group as a whole. This is not a one-time exercise; it needs to be revisited regularly. 

2. Build psychological safety 

When Google investigated why some of their teams outperformed others, one of the most critical success factors identified was psychological safety. High-performing, psychologically safe teams are characterised by members who feel comfortable speaking openly, by mutual respect, and by balanced participation. No one dominates the conversation. To build psychological safety, team members need to know each other beyond their professional roles. Team leaders can set the tone by modelling openness, sharing mistakes, and acknowledging the challenges they face. 

3. Focus on the whole, not the parts 

Leadership teams often become reporting forums, where each leader updates the group on their respective area. But if the leadership team is to serve as the organisation’s engine, collaboration must take priority. The team should focus on the shared whole rather than on isolated business units. 

4. Don’t fear conflict 

Work-related conflict can be constructive. When diverse perspectives are openly discussed, decisions become stronger and solutions more robust. If everyone is willing to reconsider their stance in light of new information, conflict becomes a catalyst for development. However, conflicts must focus on issues and tasks – not personalities. 

5. Make time for reflection 

In today’s high-paced work environment, it is easy to forget an essential part of team development: learning. Many leadership teams move straight from one project to the next. Yet learning requires reflection. What was the plan? What was the outcome? What worked well – and what should we do differently next time? All teams need structured time for reflection to continuously improve. 

6. Reset when the team changes 

If more than half the leadership team members are new, a reset is essential. Both new and existing members need time to get to know each other and understand the skills and perspectives each person brings. Once again, the team must revisit common goals, ways of working, and structures. 

7. Avoid stagnation 

A leadership team that has been effective in the past will not remain so automatically. All teams stagnate without fresh input – for example, through external insights, updated processes, or new ways of collaborating.