The hidden ‘tax’ you pay when you lead too fast
A few years ago, I coached an executive who was, by every external measure, crushing it. He had pushed his team through a major platform migration in record time, hit every deadline, and was already lining up the next initiative before the first one had fully landed. When I asked how the team felt about the pace, he said, “They’re fine. Nobody’s pushed back.” That was the problem. Nobody had…
The "speed tax" refers to the hidden cost leaders face when they prioritize speed over collaboration, often resulting in a disconnect between team members and leadership. This gap can be identified by watching for compliance disguised as agreement, where team members nod in meetings but don't show genuine alignment or investment.
Fragmentation often occurs, with some teams executing the new process while others revert to old methods out of lack of trust. To address this, leaders should involve team members in the decision-making process before announcing changes, rather than treating communication as a one-way broadcast. Building a checkpoint before scaling up the pace is crucial; a specific date or milestone should be set for the team to assess if they are still moving together or if the leader is ahead.
This check-in pause, though time-consuming, can prevent costly consequences such as key players quitting or projects stalling. Ultimately, leaders should decide their pace intentionally, balancing momentum with the need to maintain trust and engagement among team members.
Written by urgent.news from Fast Company's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
