This is part 3 in a series on the maximizing the potential of Alignment Leadership®. Read part 1 and part 2.
Even the strongest organizations drift out of alignment over time. Strategies evolve, markets shift, leaders change and teams make thousands of decisions that slowly reshape how work gets done. Misalignment isn’t a failure—it’s a natural outcome of growth. The real question is whether leaders can see misalignment early and help their teams correct it before it becomes friction, confusion or chaos.
Alignment Leadership is not only about making good choices. It’s about helping others recognize the choices they’re making, understand the trade‑offs behind them and connect those choices to the broader system. This is the work of diagnosing misalignment and coaching teams to fix it.
Why Misalignment Happens
Misalignment rarely comes from one big decision. It comes from the accumulation of small, unexamined choices across the six organizational systems:
- Work
- Structure and governance
- Metrics
- People and rewards
- Leadership and culture
- Continuous alignment
As our book, Mastering the Cube, emphasizes, these systems are interconnected. When a choice shifts in one area, the others must be reviewed. When they aren’t, gaps emerge. Those gaps weaken capabilities—the very outcomes the organization depends on.
Leaders who diagnose misalignment well do two things consistently:
- They look for patterns, not symptoms.
- They coach teams to see their own choices and trade‑offs.
This combination builds organizational muscle. It empowers teams to solve alignment issues before they escalate.
How to Diagnose Misalignment: A Practical, Straightforward Approach
Diagnosing misalignment doesn’t require complex tools. It requires curiosity, clarity and a willingness to look across the system.
Here are the most reliable signals that misalignment is present:
1. Work Isn’t Flowing Smoothly
When teams experience repeated bottlenecks, rework or unclear handoffs, it’s often a sign that the work system has shifted but the structure and governance system hasn’t kept pace.
Ask:
- “What decisions are slowing us down?”
- “Who believes they own this work—and who actually does?”
2. Metrics Are Driving the Wrong Behaviors
Metrics that reward one thing while the strategy requires another are a classic misalignment signal.
Ask:
- “What behaviors are our metrics encouraging?”
- “Do those behaviors support the capability we’re trying to build?”
3. People Are Working Hard but Not Advancing the Strategy
This usually means the people and rewards system is reinforcing old priorities.
Ask:
- “What skills or incentives are shaping how people spend their time?”
- “Do those choices support the strategy or pull us away from it?”
4. Leaders Say One Thing but Reinforce Another
Culture is shaped by what leaders consistently do. When leadership behaviors don’t match strategic intent, misalignment spreads quickly.
Ask:
- “What behaviors do people believe leaders value most?”
- “Are those behaviors aligned with the capability we need?”
5. Teams Are Making Conflicting Choices
When teams interpret the strategy differently, it’s a sign that choices and trade‑offs haven’t been made explicit.
Ask:
- “What choices are different teams making today?”
- “Are those choices reinforcing or competing with one another?”
These questions help leaders see the system clearly. But diagnosing misalignment is only half the work. The other half is coaching teams to fix it.
Coaching Teams to Identify Misaligned Decisions
Great alignment leaders don’t solve alignment problems for their teams—they help teams solve them themselves. This builds capability, ownership and clarity.
Here’s how leaders coach teams to identify misaligned decisions:
1. Start with the Capability
Every conversation begins with the capability the organization is trying to build.
Ask:
- “What capability are we trying to deliver?”
- “What does that capability require from us?”
This anchors the discussion in purpose, not preference.
2. Surface the Choices Teams Are Already Making
Teams often don’t realize they’re making choices. They see their decisions as “the way things are.”
Ask:
- “What choices are we making today about how we work?”
- “What choices are we making about who decides what?”
- “What choices are we making about what we measure or reward?”
This step alone often reveals misalignment.
3. Connect Those Choices Across the Cube
Once choices are visible, leaders help teams see how those choices interact across systems.
Ask:
- “If we make this choice in work, what does that mean for structure?”
- “If we change this metric, what does that mean for culture?”
- “If we shift decision rights, what does that mean for rewards?”
This is where alignment becomes real.
4. Name the Trade‑offs
Trade‑offs are where leadership courage shows up. Teams need help understanding what they are choosing not to do.
Ask:
- “What trade‑offs does this choice create?”
- “What are we willing to give up to strengthen this capability?”
- “What must win when priorities compete?”
When trade‑offs are visible, teams make better decisions.
5. Reinforce the New Choices Through Leadership Behavior
Teams watch leaders closely. Coaching is not only verbal—it’s behavioral.
Ask yourself:
- “What behavior do I need to model to reinforce this choice?”
- “How will I show the organization what matters most?”
Alignment sticks when leaders embody the choices they ask others to make.
Case Study: Coaching a Team Through Misalignment
A senior leader at a global manufacturing company noticed that despite a clear strategy around customer responsiveness, teams were still prioritizing internal efficiency. Work was optimized for cost, not speed. Metrics rewarded throughput, not customer outcomes. Leaders praised predictability, not adaptability.
Instead of mandating a fix, the leader gathered the team and asked:
“What choices are we making today that support responsiveness? What choices are we making that work against it?”
The room grew quiet. Slowly, teams began naming choices they hadn’t realized they were making—legacy processes, outdated metrics and cultural norms that no longer fit.
The leader then asked:
“What trade‑offs does responsiveness require?”
This unlocked the real conversation. Teams acknowledged that speed would require giving up some internal optimization. They aligned their choices across the AlignOrg Cube, adjusted metrics, clarified decision rights and shifted leadership behaviors.
The capability strengthened because the team—not just the leader—saw the misalignment and fixed it.
Alignment Leadership Is a Habit, Not an Event
Diagnosing misalignment and coaching teams to fix it is not a one‑time exercise. It’s a leadership habit. It requires:
- Curiosity about how choices are being made
- Clarity about the capability the organization needs
- Courage to name trade‑offs
- Collaboration to align decisions across systems
This is straightforward, practical leadership. It’s also deeply human. Leaders who help teams see their choices reduce confusion, build confidence and create an environment where people can do their best work.
When leaders embrace this discipline, misalignment becomes an opportunity—not a setback. It becomes a moment to strengthen capabilities, reinforce strategy and help teams grow.
That is the work of Alignment Leadership.
