Collaboration Misalignment: When Leaders and Teams Don’t See Eye to Eye

Collaboration struggles in remote and hybrid teams are often blamed on time zones, cultural differences, or the lack of informal interaction. The usual fixes follow: new tools, team-building activities, or training sessions. 

But here’s the hard truth: in many cases, collaboration isn’t the real problem. Misalignment is. 

What We Observe in Organizations 

Leaders often identify “a lack of belonging and collaboration” as the issue. Teams see it differently. They highlight unclear expectations, a lack of transparency in decisions, and leadership behaviors that undermine trust. 

For business and HR leaders, the lesson is clear: leaders and teams don’t always see the same problem. While leaders focus on symptoms, teams often point to the source. 

The Real Barriers 

Across organizations, several recurring patterns stand out: 

• Communication overload: too many platforms, unclear messages, and technical jargon that excludes rather than connects.

• Unstructured decision-making: choices made without alignment or a shared framework. 

• Low trust in virtual environments: morale drops when there’s no informal space to connect. 

• Untapped diversity: different perspectives exist, but without structure, they create friction instead of strength. 

The Leader-Team Gap 

The real barrier is the gap between how leaders define the problem and how teams experience it. Leaders may frame collaboration as a structural issue, about tools, processes, or frameworks. Teams, however, experience it differently: unclear expectations, inconsistent communication, and a lack of trust. 

When this gap widens, leaders roll out fixes that don’t stick, and teams disengage because they don’t feel heard. True collaboration happens when both leaders and teams see the same problem and commit to solving it together. 

What Leaders Can Do 

Closing the gap starts with leadership alignment. Leaders can: 

•  Set clear objectives and frameworks for how decisions get made. 

•  Simplify communication and reduce tool overload. 

•  Model the behaviors they want to see: empathy, transparency, and trust. 

•  Create space for connection, not just task execution. 

  
  

What Teams Can Do 

Teams also play a role in closing the gap: 

• Ask for clarity early: confirm expectations before moving forward. 

• Give constructive feedback: surface issues respectfully so leaders understand what is happening on the ground. 

• Build micro-trust: small, consistent actions like timely updates and openness create reliability. 

• Leverage diversity intentionally: use different perspectives as a strength, not a source of conflict. 

Collaboration problems often reflect something deeper than the team itself. They signal a misalignment between leaders and teams. Real collaboration begins when both sides share the same expectations, build trust, and create space for genuine connection. That’s when collaboration stops being a challenge and starts becoming a strength.