Which of these 8 modes will supercharge your team?
Teams struggle for many reasons, but structure is often the hidden constraint. This article introduces eight distinct team operating modes leaders can intentionally apply to improve decision-making, alignment, and performance. Understanding when and why to shift modes can help teams work better together.
Even Steve Jobs, one of the most notable mavericks of our time, knew he couldn’t do it alone. “Great things in business are never done by one person,” he said. “They're done by a team of people.” We all understand this instinctively, and so we spend hours every day in meetings, trying to tap into the elusive power of our teams. But teamwork is hard work. Sometimes there’s a lack of trust, and key duos haven’t been established. Other times, the strategic vision for success is unclear. Or maybe our team members hold opposing beliefs about the best ways to enact that strategy and can’t figure out how to break the deadlock.
In my work with leadership teams, I’ve seen many of these dynamics up close, and though some issues may be strategic or interpersonal in nature, it’s surprising how often challenges are rooted in team structure. When that’s the case, I get excited. Structural issues are the easiest to address. Fixing structural issues starts with an acknowledgment that there is no perfect team model. There are many different shapes a team can take, and it can be helpful to think about them as dynamic modes to apply in specific situations, rather than as fixed models. Each mode sets different expectations around the way teams meet, organize, and have conversations.
The eight most common modes
To get the very best out of your team, explore this list of the most common modes, and align the team over which one you’re using right now, and why. Note: These are in no particular order because no single mode is best or worst. Depending on your circumstances, some are simply more or less appropriate.
1. Hub-and-spoke
Hub-and-spoke is essentially a series of duos, with the leader at one end of each pairing. In this mode, each person makes decisions in direct conversation with the leader. Team meetings tend to focus on share-outs and operational alignment.
- Key benefits: Proximity to the leader; accelerated decision-making; single source of truth; unambiguous governance
- Key risks: Isolated decisions; low levels of coordination; lack of perspective; half-hearted follow-through
- Leadership tip: The leader must act as the nerve center, connecting discrete conversations while rallying the team in support of decisions they had little part in.
2. Team of teams
Team of teams is characterized by groups of people focused on fundamentally different areas of the business, such as operations or product. Like hub-and-spoke, the leader engages with each team separately.
- Key benefits: Increased accountability; nimble, purpose-built teams; incorporates multiple viewpoints
- Key risks: Fragmentation; disconnection between interdependent parts of the business; cultural silos
- Leadership tip: The leader must act as a switchboard operator, proactively building bridges between the teams.
3. Facilitated
Here, the leader shows up to facilitate conversations, drawing out diverse perspectives in a deliberative process. The leader acts as a provocateur during conversations, synthesizing a broad range of views to make the right decision.
- Key benefits: Strong team cohesion; diverse perspectives; opportunity for gap detection; highly informed decisions
- Key risks: Lower volume of decisions over time; need for longer, more frequent meetings; risk that the conversation hasn’t landed
- Leadership tip: The leader must act like an orchestra conductor, deftly drawing out the team and guiding conversations to a clear decision.
4. Servant-led
In servant-led teams, the team is empowered to self-organize and make its own decisions, with the leader operating at a distance from daily operations. The leader supports the team by clearing obstacles and providing mentorship when needed.
- Key benefits: Communal sensibility; less hierarchical; opportunities for personal growth and development
- Key risks: Lack of central coordination; absence of clear direction; difficulty forging alignment through disagreement
- Leadership tip: The leader must act as a coach, creating conditions for the team to thrive while focusing on individual development.
5. Proxied
In certain cases, a leader’s role requires spending more time with customers or on the speaking circuit than with the team. Proxied teams delegate someone to take the lead in day-to-day matters.
- Key benefits: Workaround for an introverted leader; development opportunities for team members; leader free to create value elsewhere
- Key risks: Complicated power dynamics; disconnected leadership; potential for the team to be blindsided by the leader’s actions
- Leadership tip: The leader must act as a delegator, finding an operational proxy while remaining close to key decisions.
6. Egalitarian
The egalitarian mode eliminates hierarchy, establishing everyone—leader included—as equals, particularly in team settings.
- Key benefits: True team of equals; cohesive dynamic; mutual contribution and responsibility
- Key risks: Conservative decisions by consensus; confusion around the leader’s role; no clear priority-setter
- Leadership tip: The leader must act as a peer, using subtlety and soft skills to influence decisions while establishing clear decision-making parameters.
7. Directed
In contrast to egalitarian teams, directed teams rely on leaders who set the vision and drive decisions downward. This approach limits strategic input while depending on specialized lieutenants for execution.
- Key benefits: Ultra-high-speed decision-making; suited to high-pressure moments; minimal ambiguity
- Key risks: Dictatorial tendencies; disempowerment; compromised strategic quality
- Leadership tip: The leader must act as a general, providing clear direction and explaining the rationale behind decisions.
8. Mission control
Some situations require large teams, but not all decisions can be made effectively at that scale. Mission control relies on a smaller inner circle to support timely strategic decisions.
- Key benefits: Accelerated decision-making; trusted sounding board; broader input over time
- Key risks: Unclear roles for the full team; hierarchy-driven resentment
- Leadership tip: The leader must act as a designer, shaping the team based on roles and responsibilities and explaining the structure openly.
There are countless effective operating models—or modes—for any team. Choosing a mode isn’t a one-and-done endeavor. Different situations call for different decision-making structures. By oscillating between modes and helping teams understand why, leaders can dramatically improve how their teams work together.
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