Leadership Development: Is Your Team Struggling?

When your team falters, it's a common tendency for us to search for external causes —lack of resources, market pressures, or insufficient training. But often, the issue might be closer to home.

Marshall Goldsmith famously said, "What got you here won't get you there." If your team struggles, it’s time to re-evaluate your leadership practices. In this article, I have tried to examine how leadership development requires leaders reassessing their approach and how this can transform the team's performance.

1. The Team Reflects Its Leader

Each of us has blind spots—those areas of weakness we fail to notice. Unfortunately, these blind spots often manifest in team performance. A Harvard Business Review study reveals that nearly 50% of employees cite poor leadership as a significant reason for low morale and productivity.

A struggling team isn’t a permanent label; it’s a challenge to overcome. Leadership development isn’t about perfection—it’s about growth, self-awareness, and adaptability.

Actionable Steps:

• Develop self-awareness through leadership coaching or reflection practices like journaling.
• Seek 360-degree feedback from peers and team members to uncover blind spots.

Live the behaviours you want to see in your team, creating a culture of accountability and trust.

In his book Triggers, Marshall Goldsmith says, “Feedback is a gift. But it is not just the feedback that matters; it is what you do with the feedback that counts."        

2. Clarity and Alignment Are Key

Teams perform best when they have a clear sense of purpose. Without clarity, energy dissipates, and momentum stalls. Research shows that over 70% of employees rank alignment with business strategy and clarity of goals as critical to their engagement and performance.

Actionable Steps:

• Use frameworks like OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to align individual goals with broader team objectives.
• Reinforce messaging through regular check-ins and updates to ensure alignment.
• Build trust through consistent actions and open communication.

"As teams become more diverse and distributed, the challenge for leaders is to build a sense of shared purpose and identity." -  Jacob Morgan, The Future of Work: Attract New Talent, Build Better Leaders, and Create a Competitive Organization        

3. The Role of Psychological Safety

A safe environment fosters innovation. Amy Edmondson, a leading expert on psychological safety, argues that “a fearless environment allows teams to innovate and thrive.” However, Gallup data shows only 30% of employees feel safe expressing their ideas at work.

Actionable Steps:

• Create spaces where team members feel comfortable voicing their opinions and admitting mistakes.
• Respond to ideas and challenges constructively, avoiding dismissive behaviour.

4. Empowerment Drives Accountability

Micromanagement stifles team morale. Gallup research highlights that engaged employees are 21% more productive than disengaged ones. Empowerment fosters engagement by making employees feel valued and invested.

Actionable Steps:

• Delegate responsibilities effectively and provide autonomy within defined boundaries.
• Encourage team members to act as leaders in their roles, fostering a culture of ownership.

"Great leaders delegate responsibility and empower their teams to succeed." – Ram Charan, The Leadership Pipeline.        

5. Continuous Feedback Fuels Growth

Marshall Goldsmith aptly said, "Feedback is the breakfast of champions." High-performing teams share feedback 5.6 times more often than low-performing ones, according to Deloitte.

Actionable Steps:

• Replace annual appraisals with regular feedback loops.
• Focus feedback on growth, emphasizing strengths while constructively addressing areas for improvement.

6. Adaptability in Leadership

The modern workplace demands adaptable leaders. PwC’s Future of Work study found that 70% of employees believe their leaders lack adaptability to meet changing demands.

Actionable Steps:

• Stay informed about industry trends and evolving team needs.
• Invest in personal and professional development to ensure relevance and effectiveness and have a growth mindset.

"The future of work demands leaders who can evolve alongside their teams." – Lynda Gratton, The Future of Work.        

7. Building Trust as a Leadership Foundation

Trust is the cornerstone of effective leadership. Stephen Covey emphasizes, "Trust is the glue of life." Teams struggle when trust is absent, leading to disengagement and underperformance. According to Edelman’s research, 68% of employees feel trust in leadership is critical to performance.

Actionable Steps:

• Build trust through transparency, consistency, and authenticity.
• Walk the talk-live the values you promote to inspire confidence in your leadership.

"Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication." – Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.        

Finally

A struggling team doesn’t signal failure but an opportunity for growth. By embracing self-awareness, fostering psychological safety for your team, and empowering each team member, you can transform challenges into successes.

As Marshall Goldsmith reminds us, “Leadership is not about what you want; it’s about what others need from you.” Start by looking in the mirror—when you address your gaps, you empower your team to thrive.

Takeaway: Leadership development begins with responsibility. The first step to empowering your team is empowering yourself.

Anu D’Souza runs Bricoleur Consulting, a leadership coaching and recruitment company focused on the digital and technology industries. A thought leader on innovation, transformation and leadership, Anu has spent many years with companies like Unilever, Ogilvy and BBDO and has lived and worked in multiple cultures and geographies.

Having served on multiple Boards Anu is currently the Marketing Advisor to the Board of womenoffatorda.in, an e- commerce start-up supporting village women in Goa, India and volunteers with the Council of Single Mothers and their Children in Australia. She regularly writes about employee motivations, and on leadership for tomorrow. Anu is also the author of ALIGNED Why CEOs need Company Brand Alignment in the Age of a Questioning Workforce. You can reach her on anu@bricoleurconsulting.com.