Disagreement - A Sign of a Healthy Team

Cathie Leimbach • September 13, 2022

“Conflict is the natural result of talented, driven people bumping into one another,” says Todd Henry.

When we think about how to achieve our goals and overcome our obstacles, we usually come up with great ideas that could work for us. Our teammates, however, are different people with different experiences, personalities, and strengths which position them to suggest different approaches. 

Many leaders and team members are proud to declare that they don’t have any conflicts or disagreements at work. However, this isn’t really something to be proud of. It is a sign that the workplace may not be an emotionally safe place to share one’s ideas or the team members aren’t independent thinkers.

Here are a few common unhealthy realities in organizations that don’t experience conflict.

  • There is no accountability to achieving priorities, so there is no push for quality work.
  • Nobody cares about the mission of the organization, so there is no passion about how the work gets done.
  • Leaders hire improperly so employees often lack the competence to have independent ideas or the confidence to share them.  

In an emotionally safe environment with right-fit hires and right-seat assignments, team members often share diverse ideas. This can frequently lead to discord. Here are some tips for managing the discord in a healthy, respectful manner.

  • Argue over ideas, not people or personalities. Keep your conversation focused on the topic at hand, not on perceived characteristics of the people involved.
  • Make sure you are clear what the conflict is – that you are talking about the same primary issue. 
  • Look for the good points in each other’s perspectives. Listen to each other and ask questions to fully understand where they are coming from. Find common ground before addressing your differences.

 What is one aspect of healthy conflict management that you can implement in your workplace? 

What’s Really Driving Employee Detachment?

By Cathie Leimbach • April 21, 2026
Most leaders don’t struggle because they don’t care. They struggle because the root causes of disengagement are easy to miss. Right now, many employees are emotionally detached from their workplaces—and a majority are still watching for their next opportunity. But this isn’t about perks or pay. It’s about something more foundational. Less than half of employees clearly know what’s expected of them. Even fewer feel encouraged to grow, connected to purpose, or heard at work. Those aren’t surface issues. They’re leadership gaps. And they show up in everyday conversations. Engagement is built—or broken—through how leaders communicate expectations, opportunities, purpose, and voice. For example: When expectations aren’t clear, people guess and stay busy—and performance suffers. When employees don’t see how their work matters, connection fades. When leaders don’t ask for employees’ perspectives, people disengage—even if they stay. These aren’t big system failures. They’re missed conversations. The good news? What causes detachment is also what fixes it. Where could clearer, more intentional leadership conversations reconnect your team? Look at your last two workplace culture or employee engagement surveys. What do they show about how well your leaders meet employee needs? Where are leaders falling short? How do these strengths and gaps affect your bottom line? How long are you willing to accept the underperformance that follows?  Your Next Step: Click here to book a free conversation with Cathie Leimbach about discovering and/or closing leadership gaps in your organization.

What Problems Disappear When Leadership Gets Stronger?

By Cathie Leimbach • April 14, 2026
Most workplace issues don’t start big. They build slowly—through missed conversations, unclear expectations, and more people leave. That’s where disengagement shows up. And when it does, the cost is real: 78% higher absenteeism 51% higher turnover 63% more safety incidents These differences come from comparing the 25% of organizations with the strongest employee engagement to those in the bottom 25% (Gallup). And across the U.S., the bigger picture is hard to ignore— disengaged employees cost organizations nearly $2 trillion annually in lost productivity (Gallup). These aren’t just HR problems. They’re leadership problems. When people don’t feel connected, clear, or supported: They call off more More people quit Mistakes and risks increase The good news? These patterns are preventable. Strong leaders reduce these issues by: Addressing problems early Creating clarity instead of assumptions Having consistent, direct conversations Reinforcing expectations before things drift It’s not about doing more. It’s about leading differently—every day. A question to consider: Which of these challenges is quietly costing your organization the most right now? 👉 Join our upcoming Leadership Conversation on April 27th, 3:00 PM—this is not a webinar . This is a candid conversation with leaders comparing their employee engagement challenges and successes.  Most organizations are tolerating more of this than they realize. The question is—are you?