Three layers, one leader: a framework for team leadership
Updated: Sep 22
Every team sits inside a bigger system, and that system shapes what is possible at the team level. In my leadership mentoring, I like to look at leadership through three layers, working from the inside out: the individuals who make up the team, the dynamics that shape how the team works together, and the organisation the team operates within.
The three layers are connected. An organisation's culture, priorities and structure influence how a team operates. Team dynamics influence how individuals experience their work and how effectively they can perform. And, of course, the people themselves shape the team and the organisation around them. I usually start at the individual level, because that is where a leader has the most direct influence day to day, and then build outward.
The frameworks and perspectives I use throughout my sessions are based on established research in organisational behaviour, including concepts from Organizational Behavior by McShane and Von Glinow, combined with insights shaped by my own 15 years of corporate leadership experience across different teams, functions and organisational environments. The goal is not to apply theory for the sake of theory. It is to use practical frameworks as lenses to better understand what is happening, why it is happening, and what a leader can actually influence.
The individuals: know the person before you lead them
Before you can lead someone well, you need to understand what actually drives their behaviour, performance and engagement. This isn't about labelling people or putting them into boxes. It is about developing a working understanding of why someone might be struggling or thriving, so you can respond to the real cause rather than making assumptions.
When working with leaders on the individual layer, I use eight practical frameworks and exercises. We start with the MARS model, looking at Motivation, Ability, Role Perception and Situational Factors. From there, we explore personality, emotions and attitudes, before looking at the individual's performance and, finally, how feedback can be given effectively.
One area that often turns into a concrete action point for leaders is role perception. Not every organisation or team has clearly defined and documented roles, responsibilities and levels. And even when these things exist on paper, people don't always interpret them in the same way. This is why I encourage leaders to make role clarity a priority before jumping into more complex performance or development topics. Every person on the team should have a clear understanding of:
What they are responsible for: task clarity
What matters most: priority clarity
How they are expected to approach their work: method clarity
It is easy for a leader to assume that everyone understands what is expected of them. But assumptions are not clarity. Gallup's 2024 workplace data found that only 46% of employees in the US clearly know what is expected of them at work. In my own experience, the problem looks very similar. So rather than assuming, I recommend asking your team directly. Sometimes a simple conversation about expectations reveals more than a complicated performance process ever could.
The team dynamics: when individuals become a team
Once we have built a solid understanding of the individuals on the team, the next question is: how do these people actually function together? A team is more than the sum of its people. It develops its own dynamics: how trust is built, how decisions are really made, which relationships influence the work, and how the team moves forward (or gets stuck) as it develops over time. To evaluate this layer, I work with leaders across three areas.
First, we look at the informal groups and relationships that exist inside every team, whether you planned for them or not. Every team has informal influencers, alliances and relationships that shape how information travels and how decisions get made. Understanding these dynamics can help a leader work with the team as it actually exists, rather than only as it looks on an organisational chart. Second, we look at how teams develop over time. Here, I use models such as Bruce Tuckman's four stages of team development, alongside Patrick Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, to help leaders understand what might be happening beneath the surface. Finally, we look at team performance: what is the team actually expected to achieve? What is getting in the way? And what does the team need from its leader to perform at its best?
One challenge that comes up particularly often today is constant change. Restructuring, reorganisations, new leadership, changing priorities and shifting responsibilities can have a significant impact on team dynamics. I believe change is often necessary, and can be healthy for an organisation. But the way change is introduced matters enormously. This is where I often see leaders underestimate the support their teams need. A change may make perfect sense from an organisational perspective, but that doesn't mean the people affected by it automatically understand it, accept it or know how to navigate it. Leaders play an important role in helping their teams move through change: explaining what is changing, creating clarity around what it means for the team, acknowledging uncertainty, and helping people understand how they can contribute to what comes next. Change management is not only an organisational responsibility. It is also a leadership responsibility.
The organisation: connecting the team to the business
The final layer is the wider organisation the team operates within. No team operates in isolation. A leader needs to understand the company's objectives, collaborate with stakeholders, and communicate effectively with leadership. How well a leader manages this outer layer can significantly influence what their team is able to achieve. I usually look at this layer through three areas.
First, connecting the team's work to business objectives. We use frameworks such as North Star metrics and OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to connect what the team is doing to the priorities of the wider organisation.
Second, understanding stakeholder relationships. Not every difficult stakeholder relationship is a collaboration problem. Sometimes the issue is simply a knowledge gap: the other person doesn't have enough context, information or understanding of what your team does. Other times, there is a genuine alignment or collaboration issue. Knowing the difference changes how you should respond.
And third, communicating with leadership. This is an area where many strong leaders struggle. You can have a highly effective team, deliver strong results and develop your people, but if leadership does not understand the impact your team is having, that value can remain invisible. One of the most common gaps I see is that leaders are able to explain what their team does, but find it harder to communicate why it matters to the business. The shift is from reporting activity to communicating impact.
Instead of saying: "My team launched 12 projects this quarter."
The conversation becomes: "These three initiatives contributed to X business priority, improved Y metric and helped us achieve Z."
But this communication needs to work in both directions. Just as leaders need to communicate their team's contribution and impact to senior leadership, they also need to communicate the bigger picture to the people in their team, including the more junior members. Everyone in a team should understand not only what they are responsible for, but also why their work matters and how it connects to the team's and organisation's objectives. When people understand that connection, they can make better decisions about where to focus their time and energy. They can prioritise more effectively, understand what matters most, and operate with greater independence rather than constantly waiting for direction.
For me, this is one of the most important responsibilities of a leader: creating the context people need to do their jobs well. The goal is not for every team member to know every detail of the business. It is for everyone to understand enough of the bigger picture to see where their work fits, make informed decisions, and take ownership of their contribution. In that sense, good leadership communication is not simply about communicating upwards. It is about creating alignment across the whole ecosystem around the team, from the most junior contributor to senior leadership.
Putting the team leadership framework into practice
Ultimately, leadership happens at all three levels. You need to understand the individuals you lead. You need to shape the team dynamics that allow those individuals to work effectively together. And you need to help the team navigate the organisation around it, its priorities, stakeholders, changes and leadership expectations. Used together, these three layers work as a team leadership framework, giving you a structure for thinking about these challenges. But the real work is turning that understanding into action.
That is where I come in. If you are navigating a leadership challenge, whether it is developing your team, managing performance, dealing with conflict, navigating change, influencing stakeholders or simply figuring out what your next step as a leader should be, you don't have to figure it all out alone. Sometimes having a structured space to step back, make sense of what is happening and work through your options can make all the difference. If you are facing a leadership challenge and would like to talk it through, get in touch.
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