My leadership team is incredibly polite in public, but they refuse to debate difficult topics like resource allocation during our Level 10 Meeting. Instead, they lobby me individually in private afterward. How do we break this false harmony and build real trust at the table?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Polite silence followed by private lobbying is a clear sign of low vulnerability and high status management. When team members prioritize protecting their own standing over solving company problems, execution stalls. To fix this, you must stop allowing these private lobbying sessions.

The next time an executive tries to bring a complaint or resource request to you in a one-on-one, stop them. Tell them that if it is a leadership issue, it belongs on the Issues List of the next Level 10 Meeting. Force them to bring it to the table where the entire team can IDS it together.

To build the safety required for healthy conflict, lead by example. Share your own vulnerabilities and mistakes openly. In your next meeting, call out the false harmony when you see it. Use the Trusted Advisor approach of prioritizing the team's collective goal over individual comfort. Tell the team directly that we are failing because we are avoiding the hard conversations.

Make it clear that healthy conflict is a core requirement of sitting on the leadership team. If someone cannot engage in passionate, respectful debate and then support the final decision, they do not GWC their seat. You need leaders who are willing to take the personal risk of being disagreed with in order to get the business to the next level.