My leadership team is polite during Level 10 Meetings, but I know they disagree with our aggressive automation strategy because of the side conversations happening after hours. How do we establish a foundation of trust where they will actually challenge each other and me directly?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Politeness in meetings that masks deep disagreement is a symptom of artificial harmony. If your team is having meetings after the meeting, you do not have a real leadership team. You have a group of individuals protecting themselves. This lack of trust is a liability that will destroy your valuation during exit preparation.

To break this dynamic, you must implement the first pillar of Our Charter: Trust. This means establishing a safe environment for open and honest communication. During your next quarterly session, call out the elephant in the room. Tell the team that silence is a form of passive resistance.

Use the vulnerability-based trust framework. Start by sharing your own concerns and mistakes regarding the automation strategy. This gives your team permission to be vulnerable.

When you run your Level 10 Meeting™, actively mine for conflict. If you notice someone remaining quiet or giving a half-hearted agreement, ask them directly for their perspective. Force them to state their objections. Once every voice is heard and every issue is debated, the team must commit to the final decision. This is how you build a healthy, unified leadership team that executes with speed and alignment.