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The Strategic Leader Who  Needs Their Team to "Step Up"

by Nicki McLeod
Apr 14, 2026

 

According to a Grammarly-Harris poll and SHRM - poor communication can cost organizations between $4,200 to $12,500 per employee, per year. Understanding how to effectively communicate with your team starts with understanding the design of each team member.

 

Picture This.

A division leader in a large manufacturing facility. 

He's new to the role - smart, driven, and highly strategic. He can clearly see where the business needs to go. The company is moving faster than ever. Priorities are shifting constantly. And he knows:

"We have to produce more results, faster, and differently."

But his team?

They're solid. Reliable. Experienced. And they keep doing things the way they've always done them.


THE FRUSTRATION

So he pushes.

He asks for more ownership. More initiative. More adaptability. He "empowers" them to make decisions so they can move faster. 

But nothing changes.

Deadlines slip. Priorities don't shift. And he finds himself frustrated and thinking:

"Why don't they just step up?"


THE HIDDEN ROOT CAUSE

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