Have a Broken Team? Look In the Mirror to Fix It

You are a resourceful, tireless leader. You’ve read enough research, incorporated several frameworks into your business, and are aware of your own blind spots and weaknesses. Yet, the team doesn’t hear. Even worse, some of the processes are falling apart, clients go, and employees leave, too. What’s going on?

This may sound harsh, but I need to voice my guess: you are the reason. “Okay, Anna, great advice, thanks.” I can hear your sarcastic tone, but please, bear with me. The truth is, I’ve been in your shoes too many times myself:

• • Imposing unrealistic expectations on my team and colleagues
  • Focusing on their weaknesses instead of building up their strengths
  • Being toxic while preaching the opposite…

And you and I are not alone in this. I’ve talked to multiple CEOs who hire a coach or develop a program for the employees, but don’t participate themselves. I’ve also heard from many employees that they were put in some training program, while the problem was actually the CEO themselves.

So, I have the following three theses that might help you become a better king or queen of your business, with follow-up cases, tips and tricks, distilled to the size of this article. And if it will improve your retention, increase sales, or simply make your life easier, please share it with others. Deal?

Thesis 1: Choose the right style and fit

I recently heard a personal stylist teach her clients a mantra “I can feel good in my clothes by choosing the right style and fit, no matter my size.” This is a brilliant mindset that leaders should apply to building the right organizational structure and culture. In simple terms, if you run a small venture like a digital agency, avoid rigid hierarchies and tons of rules. I knew one IT founder who got obsessed with teal organizations and developmental theory. However, what should have required a simple process turned into a burdensome quest for his employees. The latter often did not comprehend the priorities at the company: should they jump on a business meeting with a client or improve their interpersonal skills; should they start a “new exciting project” by their CEO or deliver another sprint for a bigger project?

And speaking of culture, think twice and thrice about an “open door policy.” What seems like well-intentioned accessibility can actually harm team performance and leadership effectiveness.

Not only are you letting everyone steal your precious focus time, but you also set your employees up to rely on you when they actually have brilliant solutions and answers themselves. Don’t kill your team’s creativity and problem-solving mindset – close your office door. When leaders are always available, they become decision-making bottlenecks, limiting employees’ ability to think critically and solve problems. Instead of withdrawing completely, leaders should create intentional moments of accessibility that encourage independent decision-making and professional growth. In a nutshell, offer the minimum required structure to meet your business objectives and balance your team’s responsibilities and autonomy.

Thesis 2: Clarity is the name of the game

No matter how independent and smart people are on your team, you as a leader must create crystal clarity about all aspects of building and running the business. Every employee has to be fully up-to-date about what the company’s top priority is for this month/quarter, and how their work relates to the big picture. If you feel like a broken record talking about your why, you are probably on the right track (and should still remind about the why a couple more times this week).

Clarity provides the structure and direction that teams need to thrive, especially in fast-changing environments. Without clear boundaries and expectations, a workplace can quickly become chaotic and mentally exhausting for everyone involved.

At the same time, practice nurturing accountability in your employees. As outlined in your contract, people you hire ought to deliver based on specific KPIs (do you have those, by the way?!). And your job as the boss is to be as clear as possible before your employees agree to the contract.

Changing things on the go feels like betrayal and only rationalizes a desire to leave your ship, captain.

And of course, if you are in a dynamic industry or a hypergrowth stage, not everything is clear, and it is impossible to fully outline the expectations in the contract. In such cases, the clarity is crucial about the, ehm, lack of clarity, and you need to outline a defined process for reviewing the goals and adjusting the KPIs along the way.

In short:

• • Stop micromanaging now! Resist the urge to immediately solve every problem. Rather, let your team members develop their own problem-solving skills.
  • Create a blame-free culture where failures are shared but successes are recognized individually.
  • Ensure your hiring and onboarding processes attract employees who align with your company’s values by reviewing branding, job descriptions, and interviews.

Thesis 3: Lead yourself

As an executive strategist, I’ve found that true leadership begins with enabling others by first knowing yourself. This self-awareness must span all three dimensions: leading groups, building one-on-one relationships, and practicing self-leadership. Failing on the two theses above leads to unmet expectations and toxicity, which in turn ruins trust and effectiveness of your team. However, knowing yourself and helping others understand you better can have a healing effect.

Lead yourself with journaling. Essentially self-reflection, it is the ultimate habit for personal growth and self-leadership. For leaders, it’s a game-changer, boosting self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and decision-making. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s building a sustainable habit that helps you grow over time.

To harvest beautiful results from growing your self-awareness, I recommend using the “Guide to Me” with your team. In my leadership practice, I’ve found that nothing transforms team dynamics quicker than this exercise. Team members simply answer questions about themselves – how they work best, what stresses them out, and their communication preferences – then share with colleagues.

By doing so, they display some vulnerability that allows leaders to connect on a human level, showing they’re open to growth and uncertainty. When leaders admit they don’t have all the answers, they create space for trust, collaboration, and authentic engagement.

One student group I worked with discovered they all hated when teammates missed deadlines, which immediately established “we do what we promise” as a core value for the course project. This self-disclosure bypasses typical team growing pains. Whether you’re leading a corporate team, teaching students, or even improving family communication, having people articulate “when I’m stressed, I…” or “I get productive when…” creates psychological safety and mutual understanding. It’s brilliantly simple, wildly effective, and surprisingly fun – I believe it should be mandatory in any workplace with more than one person.

Share the light

“Genius leadership,” as I call it, happens when you align with your natural strengths and purpose, providing stability in any situation. In today’s post-pandemic workplace, vulnerability and empathy are more essential than ever – yet many leaders were never trained to embrace them. By openly acknowledging uncertainties and sharing their growth journey, leaders inspire a ripple effect of trust and resilience across their teams.

The real challenge is leading with both heart and backbone – being open without becoming unclear. Like good parenting, effective leadership requires a balance of empathy and structure, where people feel supported yet anchored.

I’ve seen it time and again: when bosses actually admit they don’t have all the answers and share their own learning process, something magical happens throughout the entire company. People feel permission to be human, too. This explains why the research shows 75% of people quit their managers, not their companies.

With so many folks eyeing the exit door these days, the fix isn’t some corporate initiative – it’s leaders being brave enough to look in the mirror, see the messy world within, do the hard inner work, and then talk about it openly. When leaders show this authentically, team members feel truly seen and decide to stick around.

I hope this article has highlighted what might seem obvious but often gets missed. Here’s to being a beacon for your team and building relationships that nourish both sides!