The Profit Leak Blog

Insights from SKOR's Q3 2025 State of Teams Report We just gained an "extra hour" from daylight savings this past weekend. For most of us, it felt like a gift—a chance to finally catch up on sleep, tackle one more thing on that endless to-do list, or maybe (just maybe) get ahead on work. But here's the uncomfortable truth that nearly 700 companies across North America just helped us uncover: The problem isn't that we need more hours. It's that we're using the hours we have all wrong. The Manager Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight Imagine a world where you could actually give every person on your team an extra hour each week. Game-changing, right? Here's the reality check: 70% of a team's performance is directly tied to their manager. And 3 in 5 managers have received zero management training. That's not speculation—that's Gallup's research, validated by what we're seeing across industries in our Q3 State of Teams Report. And it gets more interesting: when we looked at team performance data, People Leaders and Individual Contributors had the same SKOR (76 out of 100), but for completely different reasons. Here's where it gets really interesting: individual contributors and managers are often living in two completely different realities. A team member might feel genuinely appreciated because their manager acknowledged their work in last week's standup. Meanwhile, that same manager is beating themselves up for not doing "enough" recognition—convinced they're falling short because they haven't implemented a formal rewards program yet. Or consider clarity: a manager thinks they've been crystal clear about priorities because they mentioned them in the quarterly kickoff. But three months later, their team is still guessing which projects actually matter most because those priorities were never reinforced, never connected to daily work. The perception gap isn't about who's right or wrong—it's about leaders being their own harshest critics while their teams are operating with incomplete information.  Managers hold themselves to impossible standards while simultaneously struggling to translate what's in their heads into actionable direction on the front lines. The truth?  An extra hour won't fix a cracked foundation. But investing in the people who lead your teams? That's a different story. What High-Performing Teams Actually Do Differently After watching companies navigate Q3, one thing became crystal clear: the best teams aren't working more —they're working smarter with the hours they have.  And they're strengthening three specific "muscles" that transform how they operate: 1. Transparency: The Trust Accelerator High-performing teams don't hoard information—they share it liberally. Remote teams, for instance, outscored hybrid teams by 5 points in Q3 (78 vs. 73), largely because they had to build transparent communication systems from day one. When everyone can see what's happening, why decisions are being made, and where priorities lie, something magical happens: trust accelerates. Employees stop second-guessing and start executing. The teams that struggled in Q3? They kept information and strategy locked in the C-suite while expecting frontline employees to "figure it out." 2. Accountability: Ownership Over Oversight Here's a pattern we saw repeatedly: companies under 100 employees had the highest SKOR overall . Why? Close relationships and direct access to leadership created natural accountability loops. But here's the problem: as companies grew to 250-1,000 employees, scores dropped across the board.  Bureaucracy replaced ownership. People stopped feeling responsible for outcomes because... well, who really owns anything when there are seventeen approval layers? The companies that bounced back after 1,000+ employees? They invested in intentional systems and processes that recreated ownership at scale—giving teams autonomy while maintaining alignment. 3. Healthy Conflict: The Innovation Engine The industries that dominated Q3's rankings—Environment & Recycling (74), Agriculture & Agribusiness (74), and Consulting & Business Services (69)—share a common thread: they've normalized productive disagreement. Meanwhile, the industries that saw the biggest declines? Manufacturing (-6%) and Entertainment & Media (-2%) both showed signs of what we call "conflict avoidance" culture. When teams are afraid to disagree, they stop innovating. When layoffs and transformation fatigue set in, people play it safe instead of speaking up. Healthy conflict isn't about being combative—it's about caring enough to challenge assumptions and push for better solutions. The Wake-Up Call Here's the stat that should send shivers down every employers spine: employee engagement just hit a 10-year low. According to Gallup, 68% of employees are drowning in work pace and volume, while 56% don't even know what's expected of them. The price tag? $438 billion in lost performance and profits. An extra hour won't fix that. But here's what will: building teams that strengthen muscles that actually matter, including transparency, accountability, and healthy conflict. Don't Chase the Extra Hour As we head into the final push of 2025, with holiday pressures mounting and year-end goals looming, here's the question worth asking: Would an extra hour per week actually help your team—or do you need to fundamentally change how you're using the hours you already have? The Q3 data tells us something important: the best teams aren't the busiest teams. They're the teams that have: Strong managers  equipped with actual training, not just good intentions Transparent systems  where information flows freely and trust builds naturally Healthy conflict  that pushes ideas forward instead of sweeping problems under the rug Real accountability  where people own outcomes, not just tasks This November, don't give your team another hour. Give them what they actually need to perform at their best. Because the truth is, we all have the same 24 hours. The difference between thriving and surviving isn't about having more time—it's about making the time we have actually matter.

It's December, which means your company is about to spend thousands on a holiday party while ignoring the fact that every one of your people have been wasting more than 3.8 hours per week to dysfunction since January. Open bar. Ugly sweater contest. Maybe a gift exchange. A speech about "what a great year it's been" that everyone will politely applaud while mentally composing their LinkedIn job alerts. Here's what SKOR data tells us that your holiday party budget won't: Team dynamics aren’t built in ballrooms. It's built in Tuesday afternoon meetings where people either feel safe speaking up or they don't. The Party Illusion Companies love throwing parties because parties feel like culture. They're visible. They're expensive. They generate Instagram content. Leadership can point to them as "proof" we care about our people. But culture isn't soft. It's data. And the data shows that teams with low Cohesion scores—meaning weak interpersonal bonds and trust—don't suddenly become high-performing because you rented out a brewery for the night. If anything, forced fun highlights the gaps. Nothing says "we don't actually know each other" like standing in awkward circles making small talk with people you've Zoomed with for 11 months. What Actually Moves the Needle SKOR measures what matters: Cohesion, Clarity, and Courage. Cohesion isn't about whether people like each other enough to share appetizers. It's whether they trust each other enough to disagree productively, to admit mistakes, to ask for help without fearing judgment. Clarity isn't a toast about "our mission." It's whether every person on your team could articulate what success looks like for their role this quarter and how it connects to what everyone else is doing. Courage isn't a motivational speech. It's whether people feel psychologically safe enough to surface problems before they become disasters—whether they believe speaking up will be rewarded or punished. Your holiday party budget? It addresses exactly zero of these. The Transparency Gap No One Mentions Here's the thing leadership doesn't want to admit: Holiday parties are often guilt spending. We know engagement has been rough. We know the Q3 all-hands didn't land. We know people are burned out from the reorganization that nobody explained properly. So we throw a party, cross our fingers, and hope everyone forgets the year was messy. SKOR data consistently shows that teams with high Clarity scores—where goals, roles, and expectations are actually transparent—don't need performance theater. They need real feedback, real alignment, and real investment in the structures that make work sustainable. You can't Clarity-wash dysfunction with an open bar. What December Should Actually Be About Instead of pretending eggnog fixes everything, use December to measure what's real: Run a pulse check on Cohesion. Do your teams actually trust each other, or are they just polite strangers who share a Slack workspace? Audit your Clarity gaps. Can everyone on your team explain what "success" looks like for Q1? If not, that's your January crisis waiting to happen. Measure Courage. When was the last time someone on your team surfaced a problem before it became a fire drill? If you can't remember, you have a psychological safety issue, not a morale issue. SKOR's data reveals what engagement surveys hide, the difference between teams that function and teams that just... exist. The Real Gift Don't get me wrong—throw the party. People deserve to celebrate. But don't confuse celebration with transformation. The real gift you can give your team in December isn't a gift card or a DJ. It's the gift of actually knowing where they stand. Of measuring what's real instead of what's comfortable. Of addressing dysfunction instead of decorating around it. Because come January, the decorations come down. And if your team's foundation is built on ping pong tables and pizza parties instead of Cohesion, Clarity, and Courage, you're not building culture. You're just hoping no one notices the cracks until Q2. Want to know what your teams actually need heading into the new year? SKOR measures the 3 C's that drive real performance—not the feel-good metrics that look great in slide decks but tell you nothing about whether your teams can actually execute. See how your teams actually score.

Every December, leadership sends the same message: "Let's finish strong! Stay positive! End the year on a high note!" And every January, the problems you spent December pretending didn't exist show up like post-holiday credit card bills. Here's what nobody wants to admit: The Grinch wasn't wrong about Whoville's performative cheer being exhausting. He just had terrible coping mechanisms (and a concerning lack of boundaries with pets). But his fundamental complaint—that forced enthusiasm crowds out authentic human experience—is exactly what's happening on your team right now. SKOR data on psychological safety shows that teams with mandated positivity cultures have consistently lower Courage scores. When "staying positive" becomes the expectation, speaking truth becomes the risk. And come January, you're not dealing with fresh problems. You're dealing with December's suppressed dysfunction, now with three weeks of compounding interest. The Whoville Effect: When Cheer Becomes Compliance Whoville didn't just enjoy Christmas. They performed it. Loudly. Publicly. With choreography. Sound familiar? Every December, organizations shift into performance mode: "What a great year it's been!" (It wasn't.) "So grateful for this amazing team!" (Who you're secretly hoping will quit so you don't have to manage them.) "Let's celebrate our wins!" (While studiously avoiding the word 'layoffs.') The Grinch saw through it. He was bitter and antisocial about it, sure. But he wasn't wrong that Whoville's relentless cheer felt like obligation dressed up as joy. SKOR's Courage data reveals what happens when organizations prioritize emotional performance over psychological safety: People stop surfacing problems. Not because the problems disappeared—because naming them became culturally unacceptable. "Let's table that until January." "Can we just get through the holidays without drama?" "I just need everyone to stay positive through year-end." Translation: Your discomfort with my honesty is more important than the fact that this issue is going to blow up in three weeks. The Clarity Crisis Hidden in Holiday Gloss Here's what nobody in Whoville ever did: Actually ask the Grinch what was wrong. They knew he was miserable. They knew he was isolated. Their solution? Sing louder. Be cheerier. Surely he'll come around if we just demonstrate enough enthusiasm about our roast beast. This is exactly how leadership handles team dysfunction in December. You know engagement is down. You know the Q3 reorganization left people confused and burned out. You know Steve and Rachel haven't spoken directly in six weeks and it's affecting the entire product timeline. Your solution? End-of-year all-hands with a highlight reel and a toast to "next year being even better." SKOR data on Clarity shows that teams who avoid naming problems in December spend January—and often February—trying to reverse engineer what actually went wrong. The gaps compound. The confusion spreads. And by the time you're ready to address it, half your team is interviewing elsewhere because they've concluded leadership either doesn't see the issues or doesn't care. The Grinch didn't need more Christmas spirit. He needed someone to acknowledge that maybe, possibly, Whoville's culture wasn't working for everyone. Your team doesn't need another "Stay positive!" Slack message. They need leadership with the Clarity to name what's real: This year was hard. Some things didn't work. We're going to address them. Not in January. Now. Cohesion Isn't Built on Pretending Everything Is Fine The Grinch lived alone on a mountain because he couldn't stand Whoville's culture. That's not a villain origin story—that's what happens when someone opts out of performance expectations they can't meet. And your team has Grinches too. Not the people causing problems. The people who stopped pretending there aren't any. They're the ones who bring up concerns in meetings and get met with "Let's stay focused on solutions, not problems." They're the ones who push back on unrealistic Q4 deadlines and get labeled "not a team player." They're the ones who won't perform enthusiasm about a new initiative everyone privately knows is doomed. SKOR's Cohesion data shows that teams with authentic trust—where people can disagree, admit mistakes, and voice concerns without social penalty—consistently outperform teams with surface-level harmony. But in December, organizations double down on “harmony”. Because Cohesion isn't built on everyone pretending to get along. It's built on people trusting each other enough to not pretend. To say "This isn't working" without fearing they'll be labeled difficult. To admit "I'm struggling" without worrying it'll be held against them in March. The Whoville Whos weren't a cohesive community. They were a performance troupe. Everyone doing their part, hitting their marks, singing their songs—while the Grinch, the one person who refused to perform, was exiled to a mountain. That's not culture. That's compliance with festive branding. The Real Problem With "Let's Just Get Through the Holidays" Here's the lie leadership tells itself every December: We'll address the hard stuff in January. Right now, people just need a break. Let's end the year on a positive note. SKOR data says otherwise. Teams that postpone difficult conversations don't get a clean slate in January. They get resentment with a three-week fermentation period. They get problems that have now metastasized beyond the original scope. They get people who've spent the holidays mentally composing resignation letters because they've concluded honesty isn't valued here. The Grinch's heart didn't grow because the Whos sang louder or performed harder. It grew because they showed up authentically—after everything—when they had nothing left to perform with. Your team doesn't need more holiday cheerleading. They need permission to tell the truth about what this year actually was: Permission to say "That project failed and here's why" without someone immediately pivoting to "But let's focus on what we learned!" Permission to admit "I'm burned out" without being handed a self-care article and told to take a long weekend. Permission to name "This isn't working" without leadership responding with "Let's give it until Q1 to see how it plays out." Because here's what happens when you suppress problems in December: They don't disappear. They go underground. And when they resurface in January, they bring friends. What Your Team Actually Needs This December The Grinch's transformation wasn't about adopting Whoville's culture. It was about Whoville's culture finally making space for authentic experience—including his. If you want real Cohesion, Clarity, and Courage heading into the new year: Name what was hard. Run a real retrospective, not a highlight reel. SKOR's data shows teams that honestly assess what didn't work are the ones who actually improve. Teams that gloss over dysfunction just repeat it with different projects. Measure what's real. Use SKOR to get actual data on where your teams stand on Cohesion, Clarity, and Courage. Because vibes aren't data, and your instinct that "everyone seems fine" is statistically likely to be wrong. Teams perform fine. Dysfunction hides in what people won't say when you're in the room. Address problems now, not in January. If there's a clarity gap about Q1 goals, fix it now. If there's a cohesion issue between teams, address it now. If people don't feel psychologically safe speaking up, that doesn't resolve itself over winter break—it gets worse when they have two weeks to think about whether this is the year they finally quit. The Gift Nobody Wants to Give (But Everyone Needs) The Grinch wasn't the villain. He was the truth-teller in a culture that valued performance over honesty. And your team's "Grinch"—the person who won't pretend the year was great, who keeps bringing up the thing everyone wants to ignore, who refuses to perform enthusiasm about initiatives they don't believe in—isn't your problem. They're your canary. The real gift you can give your team this December isn't another round of forced fun or mandated gratitude. It's the gift of psychological safety. The gift of actually measuring where you stand instead of where you wish you stood. The gift of admitting that ending the year strong doesn't mean pretending it was strong all along. Because come January, the decorations come down. The performance ends. And if your culture was built on forced positivity instead of real trust, you won't be starting fresh. You'll just be starting over. Want to know where your teams actually stand on psychological safety, trust, and clarity heading into the new year? SKOR measures the 3 C's that predict whether your teams will thrive or fracture in Q1—not the vibes-based metrics that let dysfunction hide until it's too late. Stop performing culture. Start measuring it.

Wicked  is breaking box office records, and even if you haven’t seen it, you know the moment. Glinda and Elphaba, suspended in that impossible friendship, singing about how they've been "changed for good." It's beautiful. It's moving. And it makes you wonder: when does change actually stick? Because here's what Wicked  doesn't show you—the part that happens after the curtain falls. How do Glinda and Elphaba know  they've changed? What if Glinda goes back to being superficial next Tuesday? What if Elphaba's courage was just adrenaline? In the theater, we accept transformation at face value. In the workplace, we can't afford to. The Performance Review Problem We've all sat through the annual ritual. Your team member swears they've grown. They've learned. They're more collaborative now, more accountable, better at conflict. And you want  to believe them—you really do. But six weeks later, they're falling into the same patterns, and you're wondering if anything actually changed or if you both just performed the scene well enough to move on. This isn't cynicism. It's pattern recognition. The truth is, most of us are terrible at assessing our own transformation. We confuse intention with action, moments with momentum, and one good week with sustainable change. We're all unreliable narrators of our own development stories. What Gets Measured Gets Real…And Sticks Consider this, a marketing director recently learned that change isn’t always for good. She felt  like she was being an inclusive leader, making space for different voices, building authentic connections. Then she looked at the actual data—who spoke in meetings, whose ideas made it into decisions, who felt heard versus who actually was  heard. The gap between her perception and reality was humbling. That's the thing about measuring team dynamics: good intentions don’t let you off the hook. When we measure dimensions like Cohesion, Clarity, and Courage—when we track whether people actually feel safe enough to disagree, whether accountability is distributed or concentrated, whether recognition flows freely or gets hoarded—we're not being cold or reductive. We're being honest in a way that feelings alone can't achieve. The Courage Metric You're Probably Ignoring Let's talk about healthy conflict  for a second, because it's the muscle that Wicked  is really about. Elphaba and Glinda transform each other because  they challenge each other. Not in spite of it. Because of it. But most teams don't measure whether healthy conflict is happening. They measure whether conflict is avoided . They track "alignment" and "togetherness” and mistake silence for agreement. Then they wonder why innovation flatlines and why the best people leave for places where they can actually say what they think. If you're not measuring whether people speak up when they disagree, whether they challenge ideas without fear of retaliation or eye rolls, whether they can fail forward without career consequences—You're tracking symptoms, not solving problems. So How Do You Know If Your Team Has Changed for Good? Here's where you start: Can you measure it over time?  One great quarter doesn't mean you've built a high-performing team. It means you had a great quarter. Real change shows up in trend lines, not snapshots. Are your Transparency scores improving month over month? Is psychological safety increasing? Or are you just having a moment? Does behavior match belief?  Your team says they value accountability. Fine. But do they actually hold each other accountable, or do they wait for leadership to play bad cop? You can measure this. How often do peers address performance issues directly? How quickly do commitments get tracked and followed up on? Numbers don't lie the way our best intentions do. Can you see it when things get hard?  Transformation isn't real until it survives pressure. When a project goes sideways, does your team lean into transparency and problem-solving, or do they scatter into blame and self-protection? When stakes are high, does courage increase or evaporate? This is where data becomes invaluable—it shows you what happens when the theater stops and reality kicks in. The Gift of Honest Measurement Here's what strikes me most about Wicked —the transformation happens because someone bears witness to it. Glinda sees Elphaba differently. Elphaba sees Glinda differently. They can't pretend they haven't changed because the evidence is standing right in front of them. That's what measurement does for teams. It bears witness. It says: here's who you were, here's who you are, here's the gap between who you say you want to be and how you're actually showing up. And yes, that can be uncomfortable. But discomfort is usually where the real change starts. A CEO I spoke with recently put it perfectly: "I thought we were doing great until I saw the feedback data. Turns out we were doing fine . There's a difference." There is. And the only way to close that gap is to measure it first. Changed For Good—Or Just For Now? So here's the question worth asking as you head into your next team meeting, your next performance review, your next strategic planning session: How do you actually know if anything is different? Not how do you feel  about it. Not what people say  about it. How do you know ? Because transformation without measurement is just a really convincing performance. And your team—like Elphaba, like Glinda, like all of us—deserves better than applause for a show that doesn't change anything. They deserve to be changed for good. And to know it's real.

In volleyball, when a player shanks a shot or serve, their teammates don’t roll their eyes or walk away. Instead, they walk over, slap hands, and move on. In the NBA, when someone clangs a free throw, their teammates still line up to give them a high-five. Why is this important? Because recognition isn’t just about celebrating the wins . It’s about reinforcing belonging, effort, and resilience—especially when someone misses. Now let’s flip to the workplace. How often do leaders give a figurative high-five when their people stumble? How often do they acknowledge the effort, the risk-taking, or even just the courage to try? Too often, silence wins. Mistakes are ignored, or worse, punished. Slowly, people stop raising their hands, stop taking shots, and stop swinging big. Recognition Is a Muscle Recognition isn’t a once-a-year celebratory dinner or even an employee of the month award. It’s a muscle—always on, always in motion. In sports, that muscle memory is built into every play. Teammates celebrate good execution and reinforce effort after mistakes. In business, we tend to only recognize outcomes. We forget the behaviors that lead to growth: Taking initiative and being proactive Speaking up with a hard truth Experimenting with a new idea Owning a failure and learning from it Every one of those deserves a “high-five moment.” Without it, you don’t just lose morale—you lose momentum. Why Recognition Matters More Than You Think Data tells us this clearly: recognition is a profit lever. Teams that consistently recognize effort and impact see higher engagement, lower turnover, and stronger performance. It’s not soft stuff—it’s measurable. At SKOR, recognition is one of the 7 Critical Indicators of High-Performing Teams. When we measure teams, we don’t just ask whether leaders celebrate wins. We ask if recognition flows peer-to-peer, manager-to-team, and team-to-leader. Because here’s the truth: recognition isn’t just top-down. It’s cultural. It’s a habit shared across the locker room. The Hidden Profit in a Simple High-Five Think about the cost of silence: The missed innovation because someone was afraid to pitch a “dumb” idea. The disengaged employee who left because no one ever noticed their effort. The wasted hours fixing mistakes that could’ve been learning moments. Now think about the upside of recognition: faster recovery, higher trust, and stronger bonds. In sports, it’s the difference between a team that crumbles after a mistake and one that comes back stronger on the next play. In business, it’s the difference between a stagnant culture and one that keeps improving. Building a Recognition Culture Creating a culture of recognition requires intentionality. Here are some strategies to foster this environment: 1. Lead by Example As a leader, your actions set the tone. Acknowledge your team’s efforts openly. Share stories of both successes and failures, and highlight the lessons learned. This transparency encourages others to do the same. 2. Encourage Peer Recognition Create opportunities for team members to recognize each other. This can be through shout-outs in meetings, a dedicated recognition board, or a digital platform where employees can share kudos. Peer recognition can be incredibly powerful. 3. Make It Regular Recognition should not be a once-in-a-while event. Incorporate it into your daily or weekly routines. Regular check-ins can provide a platform for acknowledging effort and progress. 4. Celebrate Small Wins Don’t wait for major milestones to celebrate. Acknowledge small victories along the way. This keeps morale high and encourages continued effort. 5. Provide Constructive Feedback Recognition doesn’t mean ignoring mistakes. Instead, pair recognition with constructive feedback. This helps individuals learn and grow while still feeling valued. Final Take Leaders—your job isn’t just to high-five when your team nails the big win. Your job is to build a culture where recognition is constant, and people high-five each other daily—where effort, courage, and learning get reinforced just as much as success. Because performance isn’t perfect execution. It’s a game of misses, makes, and momentum. And recognition is the muscle that keeps the team moving forward. 👉 Curious how your teams score on recognition? Take the SKOR Preview and find out.

This is the first in our four-week October series exploring the hidden forces that undermine team cohesion and organizational performance. The Disconnect Between Intention and Reality Think about the last time you were a passenger in a car navigating an unfamiliar city. The driver knows exactly where they're going— they understand the route, they're making deliberate choices at every turn. But from the passenger seat, without access to that same information, every unexpected turn feels arbitrary. You start questioning the route. Second-guessing decisions. Building a narrative that may have nothing to do with reality. That's exactly what happens in organizations when transparency breaks down. The challenge is you can't close a gap you can't see. There's a fundamental problem that plagues even well-intentioned leadership teams: the disconnect between how transparent leaders believe they're managing and what their employees actually experience. This isn't about bad leadership or poor communication skills—it's about the inherent difficulty of seeing your organization from the inside out. These transparency gaps don't just create frustration—they actively erode cohesion. When people don't understand the "why" behind decisions, when your mission or next steps feel unclear, or when information seems selectively shared, trust deteriorates. Teams become siloed. Decisions get second-guessed. Energy that should go toward progress gets redirected into filling in the blanks or navigating uncertainty. Why Objective Measurement Matters You’re likely asking yourself how to identify and measure something as seemingly intangible as transparency. Gut feelings and assumptions won't cut it. Relying on intuition to gauge organizational transparency is like trying to navigate by the stars when you're inside a building—you simply don't have the visibility you need. Leadership often operates with the best intentions, but without systematic measurement, you're building on a foundation of guesswork rather than facts. This approach doesn't set anyone up for success, and it certainly doesn't create something repeatable or scalable. Consider companies known for their strong cultural north stars. Patagonia's commitment to environmental responsibility isn't just a feeling—it's measured through specific supply chain audits, carbon footprint tracking, and transparent reporting. Netflix's famous "freedom and responsibility" culture is supported by clearly defined expectations, regular calibration conversations, and specific decision-making frameworks that everyone can reference. These organizations don't guess at whether their values are being lived; they create systems to know. The difference between hoping your organization is transparent and knowing where transparency exists (or doesn't) is the difference between reactive firefighting and strategic improvement. Without measurement, you're perpetually addressing symptoms rather than root causes. Connecting Performance to Outcomes But here’s the thing. Understanding where transparency breaks down is only valuable if you can connect those breakdowns to tangible business impact. The gap between leadership's perception and employee reality doesn't just affect morale—it shows up in slower decision-making, duplicated efforts, missed opportunities, and employee turnover. Organizations that successfully address transparency gaps do so by establishing clear baselines, identifying specific problem areas, and then tracking how improvements in trust and alignment translate to measurable outcomes.This means moving beyond engagement scores that tell you people are frustrated, to understanding exactly which communication channels are failing, which teams lack goal clarity, and what the actual cost of these gaps is to your business. Moving Forward The transparency gap won't resolve itself, and good intentions alone won't close it. What's required is clear visibility into where these gaps actually exist in your specific organization, followed by targeted action based on that insight. This October, if you're sensing that information isn't flowing the way it should, that teams are working at cross-purposes, or that trust feels fragile—those may be symptoms of transparency gaps that are costing you more than you realize. If you're ready to get a clearer picture of where your organization stands, SKOR can provide that foundation. Because you can't fix what you can't see—but once you can see it, the path forward becomes much clearer. Find out how you can close the gap, check out a SKORcard report. Coming Next Week: Week 2: The Courage to Fail – Why psychological safety isn't just a buzzword, and what it's really costing you.

Visiting my son at college over the weekend, I had the chance to observe him in action as president of his fraternity. What I noticed was telling. He carries a lot of responsibility, balancing relationships, decisions, and the day-to-day realities of leading a house full of young men. But beneath some of his leadership, there’s a shadow from the past. In prior years, the fraternity presidents leaned heavily on scare tactics, threats, and embarrassment to keep things in line. That kind of leadership sticks. It sets a tone that lingers. And here’s the problem: when people are led through fear, they often replicate it when it’s their turn. The outcome? You don’t get accountability. You get compliance. And compliance only lasts until pressure mounts or conditions change. As Elis Wilkins so powerfully wrote: “People don’t grow where they’re judged. They grow where they’re safe to be wrong. Be the leader who makes that possible.” That’s the real challenge — creating environments where people can stretch, stumble, and get back up again without fear of humiliation. Because that’s where learning and growth actually happen. Why This Matters Beyond a Fraternity House It’s easy to dismiss college leadership as “practice” for the real world, but the truth is this dynamic shows up everywhere — in businesses, teams, and even families. How people are led is how they tend to lead. If their leaders relied on judgment, fear, or control, they’ll carry that forward. Unless someone breaks the cycle. Great leaders don’t just manage tasks — they shape how others will lead tomorrow. The question is whether you want to pass on fear or growth. Three Ways to Turn Things Around Quickly Normalize Mistakes – Mistakes are not failures, they’re feedback. When leaders frame errors as data, teams stop hiding problems and start solving them. Replace Fear with Clarity – Fear thrives in uncertainty. When roles, goals, and expectations are clear, people can focus on execution instead of self-preservation. Model the Behavior You Want – Leaders set the cultural thermostat. If you want humility, collaboration, and respect, you have to demonstrate those traits every day. Three Ways to Help Leaders Shift Their Style Hold Up the Mirror – Use feedback and data to show leaders the impact of their approach on trust, performance, and retention. Awareness is the first step. Coach, Don’t Criticize – Give leaders tools to succeed differently. Training in recognition, structured feedback, and coaching can replace old habits. Reinforce Progress – Celebrate when leaders make positive changes, even small ones. Recognition accelerates their growth just as it does for team members. The Leadership Legacy At its core, leadership isn’t about position or title — it’s about influence. The most enduring test of leadership is what people take away from you when it’s their turn to lead. Do they pass along fear? Or do they pass along safety, learning, and growth? Your team doesn’t need perfect leaders. They need leaders who make it safe to be wrong — and safe to grow. How courageous is YOUR leadership? Take the SKOR Preview to find out.

It's not the size of the team, it's the size of the fight in the team. Yesterday, I was watching my son’s basketball team. At one point, they were up by 10. By the end? They’d lost by 15. In another game, the same story — this time losing by 20. When my son walked off the court, he said something that hit me hard: “There just wasn’t enough fight in the team.” And he was right. You could see it. The energy dropped, heads went down, and no one rallied the group. The coach didn’t step in to spark them either. But here’s the truth: they didn’t need to wait for the coach. Leadership Can Come from Anywhere We tend to think leadership is the coach’s job. Or the captains. Or the managers. But in reality, leadership is not a title — it’s a behavior. In that moment, any one of those players could have stepped up. They could have huddled the team, shouted encouragement, demanded more fight, or simply lifted the energy with a big play or words of belief. That’s the thing about leadership: it doesn’t require permission. It doesn’t wait for hierarchy. It’s within anyone, at any level, in any moment. The Same Is True in Business In organizations, we see the same pattern. Teams hit a setback, the energy drops, and everyone waits for the manager to “fix it.” But what if leadership showed up from anywhere in the team? Imagine if: A junior analyst rallied the group after a missed target. A team member spoke up in a tough meeting when everyone else went quiet. An individual contributor reignited momentum on a stalled project by reminding everyone of the goal. That’s what healthy, resilient cultures look like. Everyone carries the responsibility for fight, energy, and belief. Leadership as a Muscle The best teams, in sports or business, don’t just rely on one person to rally them. They build a culture where leadership is distributed. Where anyone can step in, take the reins for a moment, and bring the group back into the game. It’s not about hierarchy. It’s about courage. The courage to speak up, to push forward, to inject energy when it’s needed most. Final Take Watching my son’s team reminded me of this simple but powerful truth: Leadership is internal. It’s already in you. You don’t need the title. You don’t need the permission. You don’t need to wait for someone else to rally the team. Whether you’re on the court, in a locker room, or in a boardroom — leadership is a choice. And the moment you step into it, you change the game.

In the NFL, Dan Campbell has become synonymous with grit, resilience, and culture in Detroit. His “culture guy” identity is legendary—winning hearts, building unity, and fostering a tough, unbreakable mindset in the Lions’ locker room which has translated to the field and to the fandom. But this offseason, Campbell faced a paradox every culture-driven leader must. His high-performing coordinators on both sides of the ball earned head coaching roles elsewhere. Ben Johnson leads the Chicago Bears, while Aaron Glenn watches over the New York Jets. Their success didn’t just come from alignment with and buying into Campbell’s culture, it came from outright mastery of their craft. And that distinction has profound leadership implications. Elevating the Assistants: Stronger Schemes Matter In Detroit, Johnson’s offense ranked among the league’s best last year: top five in scoring and second in passing yards. Similarly, Glenn’s defense finished seventh in points allowed. Yet, what caught attention wasn’t just the culture—they were coaches making systems hum and making success look easy. Johnson’s Bears debut on Monday Night Football against the Vikings brings optimism to Chicago despite the crushing 4th quarter defeat. Meanwhile, Glenn, despite a Jets loss to the Steelers, set a tone of accountability and refusal to accept moral victories with this quote already making the round: “You will not be on the field if you are going to cause us to lose games.” Great culture draws attention, but great performance transforms careers. The Hidden Leadership Lesson If your culture signals “only alignment matters,” you risk underestimating the brilliance of specialized coaching. A culture can't scale if people believe identity trumps performance excellence. Real talent breaks out, and that’s good leadership in action, not a failure of culture. Here’s what leaders must consider: Invite specialization within cohesion. Great coaches fit the culture, but they’re recognized for their vision, too. Ensure succession doesn’t feel like a cultural void. When key leaders leave, what remains in place must be resilient. Support growth across tiers. Your culture should create space for both thinkers and doers. What’s Next for These Teams? Lions: Despite the early loss to the Packers, Campbell is navigating the gap with confidence, noting the team’s correctable issues and readiness to improve. Bears: Ben Johnson’s arrival has sparked off-season optimism, especially around developing QB Caleb Williams. His offensive credentials promise potential, though challenges loom in a tough division as illustrated last night when, after a strong start and a 17-6 lead heading into the 4th quarter, Johnson’s Bears gave up 21 points to the rival Minnesota and handed the Vikings’ rookie quarterback his first win on Monday Night. Jets: Aaron Glenn’s Jets may have lost a close game, but his message—“close isn’t good enough”—signals a shift to results-first culture. It’s clear he’s building something different with a firm foundation, something long overdue for the New Jets and their fanbase. The perennial AFC East division winner comes to town in the Buffalo Bills next weekend and if inputs don’t change during this week’s practice, the outcome may look similar again. Final Take Culture creates identity, but performance defines and sustains momentum. Dan Campbell built a powerful culture; now, it's time to nurture new coaches who excel within it—and make sure structures and performance remain strong when they move on. Whether you are on the field or in an office, success in leadership means building teams that thrive, and systems that endure long after your tenure is over. That balance is what turns culture into performance. Food for Thought: If you were to move on tomorrow, what are you leaving your team with?

Data always tells a story. The challenge for leaders is whether we’re listening. One of our recent SKOR assessments revealed two interesting dynamics worth unpacking: Individual Contributors (ICs) scored 69, while People Leaders scored 77 In-person employees scored 72, while remote employees scored 77 On the surface, these are “good” numbers. But dig deeper, and they highlight both blind spots and hidden opportunities. The Leadership Gap: 8 points The difference between how managers see themselves (77) and how their team members experience them (69) is telling. Leaders generally think they’re creating more clarity, cohesion, and courage than their teams actually feel. This gap suggests: Blind spots in leadership behavior. Managers may believe they’re clear on team priorities, but ICs don’t experience the same level of clarity. Breakdowns in communication. What feels transparent to a leader may feel like limited visibility to the team. Leaders not delegating. Perhaps the managers are taking on too much themselves and not delegating enough to their team members. In sports terms, it’s like a coach thinking the play was communicated well, but half the players ran the wrong route. Intent doesn’t equal impact. The Workplace Divide: 5 points The second finding — remote employees SKORing higher (77) than in-person (72) — flips the traditional narrative. For years, we’ve heard that remote work erodes culture. But this data suggests the opposite: in-person employees may feel more overlooked, less flexible, or more constrained by old systems. It raises big questions: Are in-person teams bogged down by outdated processes? Do remote employees benefit from clearer communication, since everything must be written or explicit? Are managers unintentionally favoring flexibility for remote staff while assuming proximity equals connection in the office? The lesson here is simple: proximity doesn’t guarantee alignment. Remote structures may actually force better practices — written clarity, deliberate check-ins, explicit expectations. What SKOR Measures For those new to SKOR: it’s a 35 and 50-question assessment designed to measure team performance through leadership. People Leaders are asked how they lead — around cohesion, clarity and courage. Individual Contributors are asked how they experience that leadership. This dual lens provides a 360° view of culture at the team level. The scores themselves reflect how well teams are performing against three cultural ingredients — Cohesion, Clarity, and Courage — and seven supporting indicators, including accountability, transparency, and recognition. By comparing leaders’ intent to team experience, SKOR highlights the gaps where hidden profit is lost and where small tweaks can unlock better execution. From Insight to Action Together, these findings underline the importance of measuring leadership at the team experience level. Leaders’ intent often differs from their teams’ reality, and workplace assumptions (remote vs. in-person) don’t always hold true. Key takeaway: Performance is a game of inches. Small tweaks in clarity, accountability, and communication can unlock big outcomes. But you can’t fix what you don’t see — and most companies aren’t measuring the gap between leadership intent and team experience. 🔵 Curious where your leadership gaps are? Start with the SKOR Preview and see what story your data is telling.