Showing-up as a leader, and working well together in executive teams. That's a complex dance. It requires the delicate balance of personal growth, team connectivity, and strategic vision

I recently sat down with Katrien Nuyts for my podcast. With over two decades guiding executives through their most challenging leadership transitions, Katrien shared insights that cut straight to the heart of effective leadership.

5 activation strategies for executive leaders

1. Develop radical awareness

The foundation for exceptional leadership begins with understanding yourself and the team's identity. 

> Self: who am I and how do I show up?

Invest time in understanding yourself. The most dangerous leadership blind spot is the one you don't know exists.

Take quiet moments to reflect on your experiences. Consider: how do your responses to pressure shape your team's culture? Which of your strengths become liabilities when overused?

> Team: what's our collective identity

Extend this self-awareness to the team. Facilitate conversations around:

• What is our mission?

• What is it that we have to accomplish together as an executive team that no individual team could accomplish alone?

• Which core values genuinely drive our decision-making?

• What shared experiences define the team's story?

2. Collect different voices

Strong leaders actively seek diverse perspectives to challenge their thinking. 

> Seek honest feedback

The strongest leaders build bridges, not islands. "Identify people both inside and outside your organization who will challenge your thinking. Who tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear." Katrien explained during our conversation. Think: mentors, advisors, friends, honest colleagues. Their perspective sees what you cannot.

> Benevolent disagreement

Create this same honesty in the team. Make it safe for people to speak up, even when their ideas challenge yours. When there is trust in each other's competence and intention, team members can speak truth, dare to doubt, engage in genuine debate, and hold each other accountable.

Create conditions where team members can:

• Build safety first: Create an environment where speaking up doesn't feel like risking everything.
• Show your humanity: When leaders open up about their challenges, it gives others permission to do the same.
• Find the right tools: Sometimes a brainstorming session, anonymous feedback, or outside facilitator opens doors that were previously locked.

3. Recognize systemic patterns

Understanding the historical and systemic contexts that shape your leadership and team dynamics is key for future success.

> Know your leadership history
We all carry patterns from our past into our present. Teams also share histories and fit within broader systems.

Notice how the team communicates, makes decisions, and handles conflict. Which patterns lift you up? Which ones hold you back?

> Systemic team inquiry

• Which patterns do we tend the repeat?
• Who helps us to maintain these patterns?
• Which dynamics are predictable regarding our decision-making?
• What is there to loose when we would change?

4. Make the uncomfortable discussable

Creating psychological safety transforms vulnerability into a catalyst for growth.

Create spaces where honesty breathes freely. Where vulnerability is a strength. Where people can express doubts and concerns openly, allowing trust to grow deeper roots.

> Ask the honest questions

• What topics does the team avoid?
• Which "elephants" sit unacknowledged in your meetings?
• What conversations feel too uncomfortable to have?
• What benefit do we gain by maintaining these barriers?

5. Choose curiosity over judgment

Shifting from blame to learning allows you to go to the root of problems.

> From blame to learning
When things go wrong, our first instinct is often to find who's at fault. But what if you approached problems with genuine curiosity instead?

> Curiosity in action

• Ask "what's happening?" questions before "why" questions
• Approach challenges as learning laboratories
• Celebrate progress milestones to reinforce growth
• Practice appreciative inquiry to identify what's working

Your next step

These five strategies support executive excellence, but knowing is only the beginning. Experiencing them is where transformation occurs.

To dive deeper into these strategies and hear the full conversation with Katrien Nuyts, check out my latest podcast episode here.