Team Coaching: The Unknotter for Leadership Teams

Is Your Leadership Team Tied in Knots?

Many leadership teams in mid-to-large companies are stuck, there is often tension and difficult conversations hidden behind passive smiles. It’s like a big messy knot, that is hard to untangle. Even talented leadership teams can struggle with trust and open communication. And you know what that means? Slow decisions, siloes form, and ultimately the bottom line takes a hit. It’s a stark reality that we don’t shy away from, because left, it often gets worse.

Great Teams, Great Results

When a top team works well together, the business wins. Research by McKinsey shows organisations whose leadership teams align on a shared vision are two times more likely to deliver above-average financial performance. In other words, cohesive leadership isn’t just a “nice to have” it’s a strategic advantage that drives results.

Reality Check: Many Teams Struggle

We see many executive teams are far from cohesive. In fact, just 56% of leaders feel their executive team works together effectively as a team according to research by Russell Reynolds. By contrast, at high-performing companies, leaders are eight times more likely to report a high-trust, united C-suite, highlighting what others are missing. Misalignment at the top breeds siloed decisions and damages confidence across the organisation.

The Hidden Cost of Friction

A dysfunctional leadership team not only hurts feelings, but also hurts performance. Harvard Business Review estimate that leaders spend nearly 20% of their time managing conflict, so almost one full workday every week! As we know, unresolved conflicts don’t just eat up time, they also quietly chip away at trust and engagement. Think about it: hours spent navigating internal drama are hours not spent on strategy, innovation, or leading effectively.

Enter Team Coaching. The “Unknotter”

So how do you untie these knots? Enter team coaching, think of it as the “unknotter” for your tangled team dynamics. A skilled leadership team coach works with the whole team (not just individuals) to surface hidden issues, untangle miscommunications, and rebuild alignment. Unlike a one-off team offsite, team coaching is an ongoing process that tackles real challenges in real time. It creates a safe space for honest conversations, that a skilled leadership coach, can kindly and safely surface, and help the team get back on track.

From Conflict to Collaboration

Team coaching can turn friction into forward momentum. It promotes open, blame-free dialogue, leading to greater transparency and emotional stability in the team. A core goal is building psychological safety, a place where team members feel safe to speak up and disagree without fear of ridicule or retaliation. With that foundation of trust, teams stop avoiding the tough issues and start addressing them head-on. In fact, conflict can become productive debate instead of destructive infighting as the team learns to channel disagreements into solutions.

Backed by Evidence

Still skeptical? The impact is proven. A comprehensive review of 51 controlled studies found that investing in team development (training, facilitation, coaching) leads to significant improvements in how teams work together and in overall team performance. The researchers put it bluntly: “Bringing a group of highly skilled individuals together is not sufficient for teams to be effective… team members need to be able to work well together for the team to successfully achieve its purpose.” In essence, simply assembling star players isn’t enough, the team must learn to play as one. Organisations that embrace team coaching often see faster decision-making, more innovation, and stronger results to show for it.

Building a High-Performing Culture

The best teams don’t just happen; they’re built. Google’s famous Project Aristotle study found that psychological safety was the #1 factor in high-performing teams. Team coaches actively cultivate this safety by setting clear norms, encouraging every voice to be heard, and connecting day-to-day work to the team’s larger purpose. These translate into better decisions, more creativity, and higher engagement, exactly what modern organisations need from their leadership teams. In short, team coaching helps create the culture where a group of leaders turns into a high-performing team.

Real ROI for Your Business

Untangling your leadership team isn’t just about everyone feeling good, it’s focused on driving performance. When executive teams resolve their dysfunctions and align, companies achieve their strategic objectives more easily and see a genuine return on investment. In fact, with a focused coaching process in place, you can start to see significant progress in the team’s effectiveness in as little as 6 months. Consider it a high-impact investment: a relatively small commitment now to unlock a leadership team that operates as a high-functioning team for growth.

Untie the Knots

Your leadership team doesn’t have to stay tangled. If this resonates, it may be time to act. Could your leaders do with a hand in navigating, conflict and siloes to find themselves in a high-performing team that boosts the bottom line?

Happy to chat

Most leadership teams contact us for an informal chat first and we learn more about your current situation, ask honest questions and provide you with the information that can help you determine if team coaching could be a suitable option for the team you have in mind.

Book a chat with us here.