Why CEOs Struggle with Alignment... & What to Do About It

If you’ve ever sat in a leadership meeting and felt like you were watching a tug-of-war rather than a strategic discussion, you’re not alone.

I’ve worked with leadership teams across industries, and a common challenge I see isn’t a lack of ambition?or intelligence—it’s a lack of alignment.

• Egos pull in different directions - everyone wants their function or department to "win."
• There’s no space for real discussion - strategy gets sidelined by day-to-day pressures.
• Competing priorities create friction - teams work hard, but often at cross-purposes.
• No one is looking at the bigger picture - without an outsider’s perspective, blind spots go unchallenged.
• There’s no clear framework to tie action to strategy - employees feel confused, and execution suffers.

The result? Stagnation, frustration, and wasted potential.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Why Alignment Is So Hard (Even for Great Leaders)

Most CEOs and leadership teams I work with are incredibly sharp. They know their business inside out, they have ambitious goals, and they’re willing to put in the work.

So why do so many struggle with alignment?

1. The Power Struggle: Who Owns the Strategy?

Strategy is meant to be a shared vision, but too often, it turns into a competition for control. Departments push their own priorities, leaders focus on their own KPIs, and before you know it, strategic discussions become territorial battles.

?? The fix:?A neutral facilitator?(someone with no internal agenda) can help leadership teams step out of their silos?and focus on what’s best for the company as a whole.

2. No Time or Space for Big-Picture Thinking

Most leadership teams are stuck in reactive mode—firefighting, dealing with operational demands, and trying to keep up with a never-ending list of “urgent” tasks.

?? The fix:?You need to create space for strategy—not just once a year at a retreat, but through regular, structured conversations?that allow leaders to engage in meaningful discussions.

3. Too Many Voices, No Clear Direction

When everyone has an opinion but no one has a framework, discussions become circular. Decisions take forever, or worse—they don’t happen at all. Employees sense the confusion, and execution falls apart.

?? The fix:?A clear strategic framework?that acts as a decision-making filter. When everyone understands the bigger picture, individual decisions become easier and more aligned.

4. No External Perspective to Challenge Thinking

It’s hard to see your own blind spots. Internal teams operate under assumptions, often without realizing it. Without an outside perspective, critical questions go unasked, and opportunities get missed.

?? The fix:?Bringing in an external advisor?who isn’t caught up in internal politics can help challenge assumptions and bring in fresh ideas from other industries.

5. Strategy Gets Lost in Translation

Even when leadership agrees on a direction, that vision often gets lost on its way down the organization. Employees either don’t understand it, don’t believe in it, or don’t know how to act on it.

?? The fix:?A structured communication platform?to ensure strategy isn’t just a PowerPoint slide—it’s a living, breathing part of the organization, tied directly to execution.

What High-Performing Leadership Teams Do Differently

I’ve worked with businesses that were stuck in decision paralysis—leadership was divided, employees were disengaged, and momentum had stalled. But I’ve also seen what happens when alignment clicks.

Here’s what high-performing leadership teams do differently:

• They create space for real conversations - not just reporting, but actual big-picture discussions.
• They embrace positive challenge - welcoming an outsider to ask the tough (but necessary) questions.
• They connect strategy to execution - ensuring teams aren’t just hearing the vision, but acting on it.
• They engage all levels of the organization - not just the C-suite, but employees on the ground.
• They break free from their industry bubble - learning from other sectors and adopting new ideas.
• They leverage 'brand strategy' to differencate and become the 'only choice' for their ideas audience

These are learnable habits - they don’t happen by chance.

So, How Do You Fix Alignment in Your Business?

If you’re a CEO or business leader and you recognize these challenges, ask yourself:

Do we have a clear and shared strategy?that everyone understands?

• Are our leadership discussions focused on the big picture, or stuck in day-to-day issues?
• Do we have an objective outsider?to challenge our thinking?
• Is there a structured way?to communicate strategy across the business?
• Are our teams working together, or are internal tensions holding us back?

If any of these questions made you pause, it might be time to rethink how your leadership team approaches strategy, alignment, and execution.

Sometimes, the biggest unlock isn’t more effort—it’s better direction. Its 'vision'.

Let’s make leadership alignment less about tug-of-war and more about moving forward together.

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