Executive Teams Are Ecosystems

You just had an amazing leader join your executive team. But the team feels…off. Wondering why?

Executive teams are ecosystems—delicate ones at that. Change one part of the system and the whole thing shifts. It’s not inherently “bad” or “good.” It’s just different.

The change happens on two levels. First, every new person brings their own decision-making style, their comfort (or discomfort) with conflict, and a presence that shifts power and trust dynamics. Some voices pull the team forward. Others hold it back.

Then there’s how existing team members react. Is there openness or resistance? Does old conflict resurface? Does new alignment emerge?

That’s the ecosystem recalibrating—whether you’re paying attention or not.

But most executive teams don’t pause to name what’s happening. It’s tempting to push forward. After all, the same work needs doing at the same speed with the same resources. So teams do what they’ve always done, hoping the system will “settle.”

And yet … Nothing settles on its own—especially team dynamics. Most of the time, it shifts beneath the surface until misalignment shows up in the decisions being made.

If your team feels off after a change, that’s not coincidence. It’s the system telling you it’s time to recalibrate.

Here’s how:

• Name what’s changed. Not just who’s new or gone—but what’s shifted in decision-making, trust, or communication.
• Make the implicit explicit. What are the unspoken rules? How are decisions actually made? What’s the real tolerance for conflict?
• Re-contract with each other. Clarify roles, revisit expectations, and talk out loud about how you want to operate moving forward.
• Check for invisible dynamics. Who’s dominating? Who’s withdrawing? Who’s filling a gap they never signed up for?

The strongest executive teams don’t just hope they’ll adapt to change—they actively recalibrate. They understand that every shift in team composition is an opportunity to get clearer, more aligned, and more effective. Don’t wait for the “off” feeling to become dysfunction.

What’s one recalibration conversation your executive team hasn’t had yet, but desperately needs to?

Hey there! I’m a leadership team whisperer, executive coach, and speaker. I guide leadership teams in high-growth companies to achieve rapid growth in a healthy, sustainable way. I coach senior leaders to discover the path to lead with ease.

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