Why Your Team Isn’t the Problem — You Might Be
Oct 24, 2025When the Problem Isn’t the Team — It’s the Leader
"I’ve tried everything. They’re just useless."
That’s how a finance leader started our first coaching session. They were drained and frustrated. They’d set high standards, delegated tasks, and pushed for strong results. But nothing changed. The team was still underperforming.
After a few sessions, a pattern started to show.
Every time something wasn’t done perfectly, this leader stepped in to fix it. What started as delegation quickly became ownership again.
In their mind, anything done differently was wrong.
Their emotional brain had built a quiet rule:
If it’s not done my way, it’s a failure.
This wasn’t about the team’s capability. It was about control. And underneath it all was a deep fear — fear that if they didn’t stay in control, they’d be exposed as not good enough.
When I finally said,
"The issue isn’t your team. The issue is you,"
they didn’t say a word.
But something shifted.
They started asking more and telling less. They began to coach instead of control. Slowly, they learned to trust others — and themselves.
Six months later, the same “underperforming” team was being celebrated. Out of 60,000 people in the organisation, they were now ranked as the top-performing finance team globally.
There were no big new systems. No fresh hires.
Just a decision to face the truth in the mirror.
Sometimes the hardest elephant in the room to name is yourself.
Want to Tackle the Real Elephant in the Room?
The Elephant in the Room is a practical session designed to help leaders spot the behaviours that hold their teams — and themselves — back. It’s honest, direct, and rooted in real-world change.
📩 If you're ready to bring this training to your leadership team, get in touch here.
Looking to shift how your team shows up?
Check out Elephant in the Room — our signature training programme for teams ready to build trust, speak honestly, and perform at a higher level.
Stay connected with news and updates!
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.
Don't worry, your information will not be shared.
We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.
