In a recent closed-door roundtable with a group of high-performing C-suite executives, I asked a simple but telling question:
“What’s your biggest challenge with your senior leadership team?”
What followed wasn’t surprising—but it was sobering.
Beneath the surface of well-crafted strategies, strong balance sheets, and ambitious growth goals, a pattern emerged: breakdowns in accountability and execution.
These aren’t just performance issues. They’re warning signs—and they start at the top.
Strategy Fails Without Execution
According to McKinsey, only 22% of executives believe their organizations are effective at strategy execution. PwC adds that over 60% of strategic initiatives fail due to breakdowns in alignment, accountability, or leadership clarity.
The message is clear: companies don’t lose because they lack vision. They lose because their leadership teams can’t—or won’t—turn vision into reality.
And when accountability erodes, it becomes contagious. Deadlines slip. Decisions stall. Ownership disappears. The team begins operating like a group of siloed individuals rather than a true leadership unit.
The Root Cause: It’s Not Just Accountability—It’s Structural
From my work as a CEO strategy coach, I’ve seen it time and time again. A lack of execution is usually a symptom of deeper, structural challenges:
- Unclear roles and expectations
- No operating rhythm to drive momentum
- Cohesion gaps across the First Team
- No consistent leadership practices
- Talent mismatches at the table
And the result? Strategy remains on slides. Growth slows. Culture suffers.
So, What Can You Do?
Here’s what the most effective CEOs do to fix it:
- Set a Clear Vision—and Cascade It with Discipline Alignment starts when your team not only hears the vision but owns it.
- Establish an Operating Rhythm That Drives Results Quarterly planning. Monthly progress reviews. Weekly touchpoints. Without cadence, there is no consistency.
- Define the “First Team” Mentality Get your leaders focused on enterprise outcomes, not just their silos.
- Put Accountability Systems in Place Scorecards. Commitments. Transparency. Make performance visible and the standard unshakable.
- Assess Your Talent—Brutally and Honestly What got you here may not get you there. Do you have the right players for what’s ahead?
- Invest in Your Leadership Culture The best teams don’t just work together. They challenge, coach, and grow together.
Your Call to Action
As CEO, you are the architect of execution. If your leadership team isn’t aligned, accountable, and delivering, the burden doesn’t fall on them—it falls on you.
So ask yourself:
- Are my top leaders clear, committed, and accountable?
- Do we have an operating rhythm that drives focus and follow-through?
- Is our team structure enabling execution—or getting in the way?
If the answer isn’t a confident “yes,” it’s time to take action.
Because the cost of inaction isn’t just missed goals. It’s missed potential. Fractured culture. And eroded credibility—inside and outside the boardroom.
Let’s fix it. Let’s rebuild execution from the top down—so you don’t just create strategy. You realize it.