How to Get Buy-In for Leadership Team Development—When Your Senior Leader Doesn’t See the Problem
By Lauren Cohen, CEO Cohen Leadership Group
You’re on a leadership team that isn’t quite clicking. Decisions take too long. There’s a lack of trust. The same conversations happen over and over without real progress. You see it. Your peers see it. But your senior leader doesn’t think there’s a problem.
So how do you create buy-in for real leadership team development when the decision-maker doesn’t recognize the dysfunction?
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many leadership teams struggle with misalignment, lack of accountability, and ineffective collaboration—yet the people at the top often don’t see it (or don’t think it’s urgent to fix).
But here’s the truth:
📉 Only about 1 in 5 leadership teams are actually high-performing.
⏳ Ineffective leadership teams slow execution, drain energy, and cost businesses real money.
🚀 Organizations that invest in leadership team effectiveness don’t just solve problems—they unlock growth.
So how can you make the case for investing in your leadership team’s effectiveness—without triggering resistance from the very people who need to be on board?
1. Make the Invisible Visible: Use Data & Evidence
Many senior leaders respond best to facts, not feelings—so make the case with hard evidence.
- Gather real examples of where dysfunction has cost time, slowed execution, or caused confusion.
- Run a quick team effectiveness survey—and share the results. (Many leaders assume the team is functioning well, only to be shocked by how their peers actually rate things.)
- Use external research:
- 65% of senior executives rate their leadership teams as ineffective.
- On average, organizations function at just 36% of their team’s full potential.
- Bain & Company found that high-performing leadership teams execute 20% faster than their competitors.
💡 Conversation Starter: “If we could improve our leadership team’s effectiveness by 20%, what would that mean for our business?”
2. Take the Peer-to-Peer Approach
If a senior leader feels attacked or blamed, they’ll resist change. Instead, use influence from their peers.
Instead of saying, “We have a problem,” try:
- “I’ve been talking to other leaders, and I’ve noticed a pattern…”
- “I was reading about how [industry leader] improved execution by changing how their leadership team operates. Here’s what they did…”
- Invite them to an industry event or executive roundtable where leadership team effectiveness is being discussed.
- Share what competitors or industry leaders are doing—because no one wants to fall behind.
💡 Conversation Starter: “I just read about a company like ours that improved decision-making speed by changing how their leadership team operates. Want me to send it over?”
3. Frame It as an Opportunity, Not a Problem
If you position this as a crisis, your leader may feel defensive. Instead, position it as an opportunity for growth.
Instead of “Our team is dysfunctional,” say:
- “We’re in a high-growth phase—how can we work together even more effectively to move faster?”
- “What if we could make our leadership meetings more strategic and less operational?”
- Show that this isn’t about fixing something broken—it’s about getting even better.
💡 Conversation Starter: “What’s one thing we could change about how we work together that would free up more time for you?”
4. Start Small: Test a Change Without Permission
Sometimes, the best way to get buy-in is to demonstrate success first. Implement a small change on your own and highlight the results:
- I’d like to suggest a change to our meeting format — less reporting, more problem-solving.
- Ask to clarify team priorities and measure progress differently.
- Start a cross-functional collaboration initiative to break down silos.
Once results show impact, highlight them.
💡 Conversation Starter: “We’ve shifted how we run leadership meetings, and it’s helping us make decisions more quickly. How can we continue to save time and enhance strategic decision-making?
5. Use a “What If” Scenario to Spark Curiosity
If your leader isn’t ready for direct feedback, use a hypothetical approach to shift their perspective. Get them thinking about the future state rather than the current dysfunction.
💡 Conversation Starter: “If you had a leadership team that was operating at peak effectiveness, what would be different?”
6. Bring in an Outside Voice
Sometimes, leaders need to hear it from someone other than their team.
- Use an anonymous leadership team survey—seeing direct feedback from peers often makes it more real.
- Invite an industry expert or team coach to share insights (without making it about them personally).
- Suggest hosting a leadership offsite where team effectiveness is naturally part of the conversation.
💡 Conversation Starter: “I was talking to [trusted external advisor], and they mentioned something interesting about leadership teams. Want to hear their take?”
7. Highlight the Real Cost of Doing Nothing
Leaders often resist investing in team development because they think:
❌ “We can’t afford to take the team out of the business.”
❌ “This is a nice-to-have, not a necessity.”
❌ “We just need to communicate better.”
Here’s the reality: You can’t afford to maintain the status quo.
Dysfunctional leadership teams slow decision-making, lose top talent, and hurt business performance.
High-growth organizations don’t leave this to chance—they intentionally build high-performing leadership teams. Likewise, the best leaders don’t assume team effectiveness happens by accident—they commit to creating it.
💡 Final Conversation Starter: “If our team could get out of fire-fighting mode and take more strategic action, — what would be the impact on our business?”
Your Next Steps…
If this resonates, and you want to explore how to create a high-performing leadership team in 2025, let’s talk.
💬 Schedule a call to learn how top organizations are investing in leadership effectiveness—and how you can do the same.
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