Change doesn’t fail because people resist. It often fails because leaders don’t agree.
Leadership alignment isn’t just a one-time strategy session — it’s the ongoing work of showing up as a united front, making consistent decisions, and delivering a shared message, especially when the road gets bumpy.
What Misalignment Looks Like
In one post-merger integration, a senior leader casually told their team, “Don’t worry — we’re not actually changing much.” Another leader in the same organization was advocating for bold new ways of working. Unsurprisingly, confusion spread, morale dipped, and progress stalled.
Mixed messages erode trust — not just in the change, but in leadership itself.
Aligning Around the “Why”
We’ve learned that real alignment begins with confronting discomfort. Leaders must discuss fears, debate assumptions, and clarify priorities — together. The best sessions aren’t the ones where everyone agrees, but the ones where everyone walks away with a shared conviction.
During an enterprise-wide redesign at an insurance company, we facilitated alignment workshops that began not with strategy, but with story. Leaders shared personal reflections on past changes — what worked, what hurt, what they feared. This created space for authentic agreement on guiding principles.
Sustaining the Alignment
Once aligned, leaders need reinforcement. We help set up touchpoints — leader talking points, cascading communications, pulse checks — to ensure that what was said in private is lived out in public.
The result?
- Cohesive decision-making
- Consistent messaging
- Credibility with the workforce
- Measurable leadership trust scores (which rose by 30% in one case)
Aligned leadership isn’t a luxury — it’s the backbone of every successful transformation.
Is your leadership team truly aligned?
Let’s design a leadership alignment journey tailored to your change goals.