Two of my longest-serving leadership team members have years of personal baggage and historical friction. They do not fight over departmental boundaries, but there is a palpable lack of trust and constant passive-aggressive sniping that derails our meetings. How do I force them to clear the air and build a functional working relationship?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When personal baggage and years of historical friction clog your leadership team, you cannot just hope it goes away. This deep-seated distrust acts as a tax on your entire organization, slowing down execution and making your Level 10 Meeting™ sessions incredibly tense. You have to address the elephant in the room directly.

The first step is a facilitated team-health day. You must take these two leaders out of their daily routine to focus entirely on their relationship. Use a structured, vulnerability-building exercise. Have them share their personal histories, their greatest strengths, and where they struggle. When leaders understand each other on a human level, it becomes much harder to attribute negative motives to their actions.

Next, implement a direct feedback exercise. Have them answer two questions for each other: what is the one thing this person does that helps the team, and what is the one thing they do that hurts the team? This forces them to vocalize their frustrations in a controlled, constructive environment. They must acknowledge the impact of their behavior on the business.

Finally, establish a zero-tolerance policy for passive-aggressive sniping. If it happens in a meeting, pause the discussion and address it instantly. Do not let it slide. They do not have to be best friends, but they must establish a baseline of mutual respect and professional collaboration. If one or both refuse to let go of their past baggage, they are showing you they no longer fit your core values. You may ultimately have to make a hard decision about their seat on the Accountability Chart.