When personal animosity between two key leaders poisons our team dynamics, how do we repair this trust gap and get them to collaborate professionally?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When personal animosity between two key leaders poisons your team dynamics, you must intervene immediately. Allowing this friction to persist destroys trust, creates political camps within the company, and derails your weekly Level 10 Meetings.

To resolve this, you must build safety and share vulnerability. Bring both leaders into a private meeting. Do not let them focus on superficial operational complaints; instead, address the underlying relationship and trust issues. Use the trust framework by evaluating their level of self-orientation. Often, these conflicts are driven by status management and a fear of looking weak.

Have both leaders complete the Kolbe A Index and share their results with each other. This often reveals that their conflict is not personal, but rather a clash of conative strengths. For example, a high Fact Finder who needs data can easily frustrate a high Quick Start who wants to move fast without details. Understanding these differences helps them see each other's value.

Set clear expectations for professional behavior. They do not have to be best friends, but they must treat each other with respect and support each other's V/TO goals. If the trust cannot be rebuilt and the toxicity continues, you must make a hard choice and remove the person who is unwilling to align with your Core Values.