The strongest teams don’t just win in their KPIs. They make it possible for people to win at life.
Last night I sang in a chorale for the first time in over 20 years—80 voices with sheet music in hand. It’s been decades since I’ve been part of that particular blend of sound you only get when dozens of people breathe and phrase together.
I haven’t done this since my 20s—not because I stopped loving it, but because the time commitment felt impossible to protect.
Now I work independently, so I can carve out Monday evenings. But on the best teams I’ve led and been part of, leaders could do the same.
On those teams, I made it to yoga every week. I trained for half marathons. I went through yoga teacher training. I volunteered in animal rescue. Not because I had easy jobs—I had senior roles with real demands. But because everyone pulled their weight in the same direction.
That’s what executive team strength actually looks like. Alignment. Clear communication. People who understand each other’s strengths and leverage them. No one carrying someone else’s load while their own life shrinks.
The research backs this up. A meta-analysis of 70 studies found that when leaders support employees’ lives outside work, those employees are more loyal, more helpful on the job, and less likely to quit. And a study of 400 employees found that those with creative pursuits outside work showed more creativity on the job and lower burnout—regardless of personality type.
And the teams that do this best? They know who each other are beyond the conference room. They know someone’s coaching their kid’s soccer team, or finally getting back to the community choir they’ve missed for decades.
When you know what matters to the people around you, you protect each other’s capacity—not just for the work, but for whole lives.
The strongest teams don’t just perform. They make room for people to thrive everywhere that matters.
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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