Misalignment Is Costing Your Company More Than You Think
- Marylen Ramos-Velasco
- 10 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Misalignment Is Costing Your Company More Than You Think
Picture this: a company with talented leaders, robust teams, and ambitious goals. Yet, despite the potential, projects stall, communication breaks down, and deadlines slip through the cracks. Everyone is working hard—but not necessarily together. What’s going wrong?
The answer often lies in a hidden leadership problem: misalignment.
Across industries, misalignment is silently eroding productivity, creating friction between departments, and draining performance at every level of the organization.
And it’s not just a leadership inconvenience—it’s an expensive crisis.
Why This Matters: The Real Cost of Misalignment
Did you know?
68% of companies with low organizational alignment reported poor levels of employee engagement. (LSA Research)
PwC estimated that inefficiencies due to silos cost companies 350 hours per year
* Highly aligned organizations increase revenue 58% faster and are 72% more profitable than unaligned organizations. (LSA Research)
These aren't just numbers—they’re lost revenue, lost morale, and lost momentum.
In today's hybrid, fast-paced, and tech-driven world, leaders who can't bridge gaps across teams are left firefighting instead of focusing on strategic growth.
Mid-level leaders, often sandwiched between executive direction and team execution, suffer the most. They carry the weight of miscommunication, misaligned KPIs, and the mental toll of managing across cultural, departmental, and digital divides.
Why Now?
Because what used to be a competitive disadvantage is now a survival issue. With AI accelerating, teams distributed globally, and Gen Z entering the workforce with new expectations—misalignment isn’t sustainable.
All the more reason for CEOs to make organizational alignment a top priority. Here are three simplified actions to start with from PwC:
✅ Invite feedback, debate—even failure – Leaders should encourage open dialogue, allow for small failures, and remove barriers to dissent. These behaviors strengthen trust, alignment, and innovation.
✅ Seek better forecasting – Misalignment often hides behind inaccurate projections. CEOs should engage in transparent forecasting conversations to ensure projects reflect both business goals and values.
✅ Consider context – There are environments (like aviation or full-scale transformation) where tolerance for failure or dissent might be limited. Leaders must assess timing, industry needs, and alignment strategies accordingly.
How to Address It: Shifting to Interconnected Leadership
The solution starts at the top—and spreads from the middle.
Interconnected leadership is a mindset and practice that:
Breaks down silos
Encourages knowledge sharing across functions
Aligns goals across departments
Builds psychological safety and accountability
Integrates tools like GenAI for smarter decision-making
Centers on collaboration, not control
It requires rethinking how we lead, how we communicate, and how we empower leaders to connect purpose with performance.
Practical Tips for Leaders
Run alignment audits – Identify disconnects between vision, execution, and communication.
Map your knowledge flow – Where is information trapped? Who’s excluded from strategic conversations?
Train your mid-level leaders – Equip department heads with tools for influence, collaboration, and change leadership.
Leverage AI wisely – Use GenAI for meeting summaries, cross-department updates, and decision support—but human alignment comes first.
Create shared success metrics – Align KPIs across teams to reward collaboration, not just individual performance.
Foster a unified vision – Clearly communicate organizational goals and how departments contribute to them.
Provide leadership training – Equip leaders with tools to recognize and dismantle silos.
Invest in relationships – Team-building, mentoring, and intentional connections drive trust and understanding.
Use collaboration tools effectively – Implement technology that supports real-time, cross-team communication.
Monitor and adapt – Silo-busting is an ongoing effort. Evaluate regularly and make adjustments.
Misalignment isn't just an internal nuisance—it’s a slow, silent leak of talent, time, and trust.
Misalignment Is Costing Your Company More Than You Think. If your organization is ready to build real bridges between strategy and execution, people and process, tech and teamwork—start with your leaders.
Join us at The Interconnected Leader Summit and give your teams the mindset, tools, and action plan they need to lead without limits.
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