About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of teamwork as a competitive advantage and the challenges posed by traditional organizational structures.

The episode argues that teamwork is a key competitive advantage and explores why work often gets stuck departments due to unclear ownership and accountability. Drawing on Deloitte’s 2026 Human Capital Survey, it highlights that 66% of C-suite leaders say pushing beyond traditional functions (HR, finance, IT, legal, procurement) is critical, yet only 7% report real progress, creating a 59-point gap. It describes simultaneous pressures on functions—cost-cutting via shared services and automation, alongside executive calls for substantial reinvention—while noting structure and “turf” impede change. Using a horse herd and the diamond model of shared leadership as an analogy, it contrasts “running the business” (repeatable work suited to automation) with “growing the business” (cross-functional work requiring dynamic leadership). Examples include Moderna, Unilever, Cisco, Workleap, and Highmark Health, and the host invites listeners to assess where energy leaks and consider the Unbridled Teamship roadmap and a team audit. 00:46 Work Stuck Between Teams 01:34 Deloitte Gap Revealed 03:30 Why Functions Strain 07:09 Running Versus Growing 09:44 Horse Herd Leadership 12:28 Tension And…

People in this episode

Host: Julia Felton

Topics covered

• teamwork
• organizational structure
• leadership
• accountability
• cross-functional collaboration
• business growth

Keywords

• teamwork
• organizational chart
• leadership
• accountability
• cross-functional work
• Deloitte survey
• business growth

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Deloitte, Moderna, Unilever, Cisco, Workleap, Highmark Health

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