Identifying Leadership Friction in Teams
The Hidden Drag: How Leaders Accidentally Slow Their Teams
The Hidden Drag: How Leaders Accidentally Slow Their Teams
Imagine approaching an intersection where every traffic light is green. All directions, all lanes, all signals giving the "go ahead." Chaos would ensue as drivers try to figure out who has the right of way, when to proceed, and how to navigate safely through the confusion.
This is exactly what happens in organizations when leadership friction builds up. Just like those conflicting green lights, leadership friction creates confusion, hesitation, and potentially dangerous collisions - albeit of the professional rather than vehicular variety.
Through my work with teams, I've identified five key sources of leadership friction that consistently create these "all-green-light" scenarios:
Listening vs Hearing We've all been there - nodding along while mentally preparing our response. Real listening means putting aside our solutions long enough to understand what's actually being said. The friction comes from responding to what we think we heard rather than what was actually shared. It's like having your GPS giving directions while you're busy planning your own route - something's bound to get missed.
Communication Clarity It's amazing how often we think we've been crystal clear, only to find our teams headed in completely different directions. The friction isn't in the speaking - it's in the gap between our intent and their interpretation. Just like a traffic sign with too many arrows, when our communication points in multiple directions, people end up choosing their own path.
Outcome Blindness This one drives me nuts, personally. It's so tempting to prescribe exactly how work should be done instead of clearly defining what success looks like. When we focus on tasks rather than outcomes, we rob our teams of ownership and innovation. It's like giving turn-by-turn directions when what we really need is a clear destination.
Decision Boundaries Who decides? When? How? And who is accountable? And what does accountability even mean? (Decider? Tie breaker? Organizer?) These questions create countless friction points. Without clear decision rights, every intersection becomes a four-way stop where everyone politely waves everyone else to go first - and nothing moves.
Vision Discord This could be the biggest friction point of all - when our day-to-day priorities and decisions don't align with the bigger picture we've painted. Teams feel this disconnect acutely, even when they can't quite name it. It's like having a destination programmed into your GPS but constantly taking detours that lead you further from your goal.
The Impact of Friction
Just like our traffic light scenario, these friction points don't just slow things down - they create real risks:
Teams become hesitant to move forward
Energy gets wasted on second-guessing and clarification
Momentum stalls as people wait for clear signals
Collisions occur when different interpretations meet
Trust erodes as confusion breeds frustration
The Way Forward
The good news is that unlike our hypothetical intersection, leadership friction can be addressed. Here's how:
Audit Your Signals Regularly check what messages you're sending. Are they consistent? Clear? Aligned with your desired outcomes?
Create Clear Traffic Patterns Establish and communicate clear decision-making frameworks. Everyone should know who has the right of way in different situations.
Install Better Signs Focus on improving how you communicate outcomes and expectations. The clearer the destination, the easier it is for teams to plot their route.
Listen to Traffic Reports Create feedback loops that help you identify friction points before they cause major pile-ups.
Align Your Navigation System Ensure your daily decisions and priorities align with your stated vision and direction.
The Challenge
Here's what I'm learning: what looks like team resistance often traces back to these leadership friction points. The good news? We can address each one - if we're willing to look in the mirror first.
Take a moment to reflect: What leadership friction do you see in your world? Where do you create it, and how do you reduce it? And let's be honest - do you think your leaders are creating friction while you remain crystal clear?
Remember, the goal isn't to eliminate all friction - some friction is necessary for traction. The goal is to ensure we're not unwittingly creating additional friction that slows our teams down or sends them in conflicting directions.
Are you ready to take an honest look at the signals you're sending?
Need help removing friction from your team? We've got some special ingredients that can help build stronger connections and create that smooth, unified team you're looking for.
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