Over the past year, I’ve noticed a pattern showing up again and again in leadership teams.

It usually surfaces right before a major initiative. AI adoption. A new operating model. A push for speed, scale, or efficiency. On the surface, everything looks logical. Strategic. Necessary.

But underneath, something quieter is happening.

Decisions feel heavier. Alignment doesn’t hold. Tension shows up in subtle ways and sometimes not so subtle ones. Leaders start compensating for one another instead of collaborating, and the organization quietly pays for it in lost momentum and trust.

This isn’t about effort or intelligence. It’s about what gets amplified when alignment hasn’t been addressed first.

I’ve just published a new piece exploring this dynamic from a leadership and decision-making lens, and yesterday I launched a companion video that brings the pattern to life through a real executive-level scenario.

If you’re leading a company, advising leaders, or sitting at the intersection of strategy and execution, I think this perspective will resonate.