The Dream Team

Early on, someone told me something that sounded pretty smart at the time:
“Never move someone off your team—you can coach anyone into any role.”

At first, this seemed to make sense because great leaders develop people, and persistence is a virtue.
But the truth is fit matters. A person who struggles in one environment can thrive in another—and forcing a mismatch drains everyone.

When I followed this advice, performance dipped, trust eroded, and the rest of the team carried silent frustration. It wasn’t until I stepped back and re-centered on vision, role clarity, and strengths that I realized a better path: honor the person, name the mismatch, and take clear action.

Here are the three practices I keep front of mind now:

1. Observe and act
   Don’t wait for a crisis to tell you what your gut already knows. Watch the work, the energy, and the impact. If the fit isn’t a fit, name it early. Then recognize the person’s real strengths and help them move toward a role where those strengths matter—on your team or another. That’s respect.
2. The fear factor
   Fear can keep you patient past the point of wisdom—fear of being “the bad boss,” fear of turnover, fear of lost knowledge. Some fear is useful; it slows you down just enough to think. But when it stalls you, it hurts the team. Do the inner work: write down the fear, challenge the story you’re telling yourself, and bring it to your inner circle—mentors, coaches, trusted peers—who can help you see clearly and act
3. I’ll name my own sticking point. I don’t struggle to see the issue. I get hung up on one of three things: Is this the right decision, or am I missing something? How will this affect the person—and the rest of the team? What’s the right timing and process to do this well?

This is exactly where having a coach matters. Working with coaches who ask sharp, honest questions helps me sort noise from signal, test my assumptions, and get to a decision I can stand behind. That conversation gives me clarity—and with clarity, I can move with intention instead of hesitation.

Own the next step
Your team must fit your vision and goals—period. Alignment isn’t a luxury; it’s intentional. Be intentional about what the role requires, what empowered looks like, and move decisively to build the team that matches that picture.

There’s a lot of advice out there, and it can blur your judgment. What I’ve learned is this: listen widely, but make decisions from a clear vision, honest observation, and responsibility for the whole team—not from fear. And when you’re stuck in the “act” phase, borrow perspective. The right coach helps you think straight so you can move forward.

What about you—are you still holding onto advice that doesn’t sit right? Consider this your permission to trust your judgment and let it go.

If you want help working through a real situation on your team, reply with “TEAM FIT” and I’ll send you a short worksheet and a framework to make the next step clear. If you want to talk through a decision with a coach, reply “COACH” and I’ll send options to connect.

Resources:

Stuck in a Rut- The Blog

Going Against the Flow – The Blog

The Life Brief – Bonnie Wan