Management committees: the silent dynamics that limit their real impact

Within the framework of senior management, management committees concentrate power, knowledge and experience. They are, in theory, the strategic engine of any organization. In practice, however, many of these teams do not operate as true leadership teams, but as a set of functional units that coexist without a shared vision or optimized collective performance.

From our experience accompanying management committees in environments of transformation, generational change or international expansion, we have been able to observe a series of recurring problems that, although not very visible, seriously condition the impact of the management team on the organization.

1. High individual performance, but low collective performance.

Having highly qualified managers does not guarantee cohesion or effectiveness as a team. Collective performance requires much more than individual talent: it requires shared vision, rules of collaboration, and a sense of common purpose.

According to a Harvard Business Review study of more than 1,250 executive committees, only 20% of senior management teams are considered high performers.
Source: HBR, “What the Best Leadership Teams Do Right”

2. False sense of strategic alignment.

It’s common to assume that the committee is aligned because everyone knows the financial goals or strategic plan. However, each area usually operates with its own logic, prioritizing departmental KPIs over the overall impact. This is not disloyalty; it is a symptom of a lack of collective structure.

Most management teams spend less than 25% of their time on strategic conversations that involve the entire organization.
Source: Bain & Company – “How the Best CEOs Manage the Leadership Team”

3. Absence of psychological security.

In many committees, cordiality reigns, but not deep trust. Difficult conversations are avoided, mistakes are not recognized, and superficial consensus is prioritized over productive friction. The result is a formally correct team, but not very innovative and with limited learning.

Google’s Aristotle project identified psychological safety as the main success factor in high-performing teams.
Source: Google – Aristotle Project

4. Weak sense of collective leadership.

Many committee members act as “directors of their area” and not as “leaders of the business.” There is a lack of a shared mentality of co-responsibility, which translates into silos, disconnected decisions and little transversal vision.

A key question that we use in accompaniment processes: “Do you feel responsible only for your role… or of the business as a whole?” The answer—and its honesty—usually reveals more than any formal indicator.

5. Limited feedback culture among peers.

Although most committees work on individual development, few encourage peer feedback. This lack limits horizontal learning, continuous improvement and the possibility of real evolution of the team.

A study by the consulting firm Zenger Folkman indicates that leaders who receive frequent feedback improve their performance by 39% more than those who do not.
Source: Zenger Folkman – “The Power of Feedback”

What do management committees need today?

Becoming a high-performance team is not a matter of “soft skills” or isolated workshops. It requires a structured, strategic and sustained approach over time, combining the following:

1. Rigorous, evidence-based diagnosis of dynamics, leadership styles, and level of alignment.
2. Specific training in collective leadership in contexts of complexity and change.
3. Individual and group accompaniment through results-oriented executive coaching.
4. Review of the team’s operating rules: roles, decision-making, accountability and strategic dialogue.

Final Thoughts

An effective management committee is not the one that has the best individual profiles, but the one that works as a true leadership team. Who makes difficult decisions with a global vision. That aligns not only in objectives, but in the how. That learns and adapts together. And that type of team does not appear by chance or chance. It is built.

Article by Álvaro Cárcel (Saltor Talent) and Francisco Romero (CooCrea)