Ep 20 Taming the Chaos (Special Episode)

In this special AMA episode, I tackle two real leadership scenarios that feel like herding cats: uniting a fractured team and creating unified execution from scattered individuals.

Both situations share the same fundamental challenge: bringing people together to create order out of chaos, whether that involves building a shared team culture or driving collective results toward a strategic vision.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

Scenario 1: "How do I unite a fractured team after leadership turmoil?"

 Meet "Julie," who inherited a 12-person team that has undergone multiple leadership changes. There's an employee who didn't get her job, showing resistance, people work in silos, and despite surface-level niceness, there's underlying dysfunction and disconnection.

 Why This Happens: Research shows 40-70% of leadership transitions fail within 18 months because new leaders underestimate inherited team dynamics. Teams experiencing leadership instability develop "learned helplessness" and become stuck in a perpetual "storming" phase, never reaching the trust necessary for high performance.

 The 90-Day Roadmap:

• Phase 1 (Days 1-30): Listen and Observe - Schedule one-on-ones with each team member, asking: "What's working well? What could be better? What are your strengths?" For resistant employees, approach with curiosity: "I know you were interested in this role. How can I make sure your talents are recognized?"
• Phase 2 (Month 2): Co-Create Team Direction - Facilitate a 3-hour team session to establish operating principles. Ask powerful questions like: "Think about a high-functioning team you were part of—what did they DO and NOT DO?" and "What would make THIS the team you're proud to be part of?"
•  Phase 3 (Month 3): Establish New Patterns - Measure, reinforce, and implement the co-created norms. Keep promises, communicate transparently, catch people doing things right, and prove your leadership isn't going anywhere.

Scenario 2: "How do I move from managing individuals to leading unified execution?"

 Meet "David," a city manager whose strategic plan gets executed in silos with different directors owning isolated parts. He seeks collaborative execution with reduced rework and increased interdependence.

 Why This Happens: Up to 90% of organizations fail to execute strategies successfully due to "strategy-to-execution gaps." Without a clear focus and unified direction, teams often default to managing individual tasks rather than driving collective outcomes, as the human brain craves clarity.

 The Path Forward:

1. Create Brutal Clarity on Priorities - Limit focus to 3 major initiatives (not 13) that would make the strategic plan successful
2.  Implement Short Execution Cycles - Use 90-day challenges supported by 30-day sprints to maintain urgency and focus
3.  Build Collective Accountability - Weekly team check-ins where everyone reports on shared goal progress, not individual performance
4.  Celebrate Collective Wins - Acknowledge what you accomplished together at the end of each cycle.

Key Insights:

Both scenarios require moving from managing chaos to creating intentional order. The breakthrough comes from recognizing that successful leaders don't wait for perfect conditions—they create them through consistent, intentional actions that build momentum over time. 

Whether you're building trust and shared ownership or shifting from individual management to collective leadership, the path forward exists and is more achievable than you think.

Resources Mentioned:

Bruce Tuckman's team development model (forming, storming, norming, performing)

"The Balanced Scorecard" research on strategy execution failures

 Do you have a leadership challenge you'd like me to address? Visit clairelaughlin.com/podcast to submit your question!

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @Claire Laughlin Consulting.

Until next time, lead the way!