I’ve been in enough leadership meetings to know how misalignment feels: hours of discussion, countless charts and oh-my-god-not-another-deck. In the room, voices grow more insistent and yet, no decisions are made. Everyone walks out frustrated, and nothing actually moves forward.
On the surface, this often looks like a lack of resources, too many competing priorities, or just a case of analysis paralysis. But after 20+ years leading and coaching executives, I’ve learned that what’s really going on is deeper. It’s what I call the Misalignment Undercurrent.
When leaders, peers, or boards aren’t fully aligned, even the most talented teams can feel like they’re paddling in circles. And often, the misalignment isn’t about the goals themselves, it’s about the values beneath those goals.
What Misalignment Looks Like on the Surface
Misalignment rarely introduces itself directly. Instead, it sneaks into the room disguised as other problems.
On the surface, misalignment looks like:
- Endless debates in leadership meetings with no clear outcome
- Teams producing results that don’t add up to the same goal
- Frequent pivots that confuse employees
- Two leaders giving contradictory direction to the same team
- “Why are we doing this instead of that now?” questions bubbling up from mid-level managers
To someone on the outside, this might look like a communication problem or poor planning. But the real drag comes from something harder to name – misaligned goals or values.
Goals vs. Values: Where Alignment Breaks Down
One of the most common misunderstandings I see in executive teams is assuming that aligned goals mean aligned leadership.
I am not saying they are an “easy” part of business, but goals are a straightforward concept to align a team around and behind. Goals can be written on a whiteboard or printed in an annual report. Everyone can nod and agree that revenue should grow, client satisfaction should improve, or expenses should be reduced.
When goals aren’t aligned, it’s easy to see as long as everyone is honest and forthcoming about their goals. If partners, teams, departments, or entire organizations aren’t operating with a clear set of goals that everyone has agreed upon – that is a huge problem that will continually knock people and initiatives over until it is resolved.
Where it gets really tricky, though, is the balance of those goals against “values”. Values are what leaders are willing to sacrifice in pursuit of goals. These are much harder to pin down, and much harder to align. And when those values don’t match, it can create a big invisible drag.
For example:
- Two leaders might agree on growth as a goal. But one may prioritize steady growth and sustainability, while the other is willing to sacrifice short-term stability for faster results.
- Two department heads may both want to “win in the market,” but one defines winning as market share, while the other defines it as becoming the most profitable company in the market.
- A board and an executive team might agree on creating efficiencies as a goal. The board may expect to see deep cuts to headcount and budgets while the executive team plans to invest in innovative technology and processes.
In every case, the stated goals are exactly the same. They are perfectly aligned. But the different ideas about the path forward sparks friction. The values of each of the parties are at odds. That’s the Misalignment Undercurrent at work.
My Experience With Misalignment
I’ve felt this undercurrent myself. At one point in my career, I was part of a leadership team for a publicly traded company. We had a solid annual plan in place: invest in new product features, expand the sales team, and set ourselves up for a strong second half of the year.
Then came pressure from the board: “We need a good quarter.” (Anyone operating at a high level in a publicly traded company has undoubtedly felt this pull.) Suddenly, instead of fueling growth, we were cutting budgets and freezing headcount. The quick savings looked good on paper for Q2 and Q3. But by Q4, we didn’t have the resources we needed to meet the production goals to finish out the year.
The goals were technically aligned – we all wanted growth. But the values weren’t. The board prioritized immediate returns, while the executive team was committed to building for the long term. That disconnect created whiplash throughout the organization.
I’ve also seen misalignment derail promising leaders I’ve coached. A client once told me, “The board keeps saying my plan is great, but they won’t approve the budget I need.” It turned out that the board didn’t want to risk their distributions. Even though they said they wanted growth, they weren’t willing to give up any of their quarterly paydays to invest in that growth. The goals matched, but the values didn’t. My client was left spinning his wheels.
How to Spot the Misalignment Undercurrent
Misalignment is tricky because it hides behind legitimate concerns. But there are some signs I look for when working with clients:
- Repeatedly stalled decisions: If the same issue gets debated month after month with no progress, misalignment is likely in play.
- Contradictory direction: When different leaders tell teams different things, it’s a symptom of deeper differences.
- Frustrated middle managers: If managers are asking “why” more often than “how,” it may be because they’re feeling the effects of misalignment at the top.
- Short-term vs. long-term whiplash: Frequent shifts between immediate gains and long-term strategy often point to conflicting values.
When leaders try to address these surface issues, they end up swimming in circles and getting pulled under. You might be able to move a decision forward here or there, but you’ll constantly be debating without alignment. You may get leaders on the same page and moving their teams forward in tandem for a while, but you’ll have to constantly bring them back together as their differing goals and values pull them off course.
These issues can only be resolved by addressing the undercurrent.
Navigating the Misalignment Undercurrent
The good news is that misalignment can be addressed if you’re willing to acknowledge it and have the tough conversations.
Here are some practices I encourage leaders to try:
- Differentiate between goals and values: Ask: “We agree on the goal, but what are we each willing – or not willing – to sacrifice to get there?”
- Create space for dissent: Alignment doesn’t mean everyone agrees instantly. Surfacing disagreements early helps avoid explosive conflicts later and giving teams a structured way to bring up problems or to talk about where they believe things are off track will keep everyone aware of the need to stay aligned.
- Use scenarios to test alignment: Instead of debating in the abstract, walk through real trade-offs. For example: “Would we still pursue this growth opportunity if it required cutting 10% of staff?” or “What has to be true for this to be a success?”
- Name the undercurrent. While it may make you cringe, sometimes simply acknowledging that misalignment exists opens the door to healthier conversations.
Acknowledge it & Move Forward
If you’ve ever walked out of a leadership meeting wondering why nothing seems to stick, or if you’ve felt the drag of conflicting priorities, it might be the Misalignment Undercurrent.
The good news? Once you name it, you can navigate it.
And when you do, you unlock a new level of clarity, alignment, and momentum for yourself and for your entire organization.
Click here for more on this deep dive into the 5 Undercurrents of Executive Leadership Challenges.
