Thursday - June 4th, 2026
Apple News
×

What can we help you find?

Open Menu
March 29th, 2026

Episode 269: The Cost of Misalignment—and How to Get Your Team Back on Track

  1. Episode 269: The Cost of Misalignment—and How to Get Your Team Back on Track Darrin Peppard 24:59

In this episode of the Leaning Into Leadership podcast, Dr. Darrin Peppard takes on a challenge that quietly impacts even the strongest leadership teams: misalignment.

You can have talented, committed leaders who care deeply about their work—and still feel like something is off. Conversations feel unclear. Decisions take longer than they should. Initiatives pile up without traction.

That’s misalignment.

And while it may not be loud or obvious, it comes at a cost.

In this episode, Darrin breaks down:

  • What misalignment really looks like in leadership teams
  • The hidden costs, including decision fatigue, staff confusion, and lost time
  • A personal leadership story that reshaped his understanding of alignment
  • Why alignment doesn’t happen during the work—it must be built intentionally

Darrin also shares a practical tool you can use immediately with your team:

Start. Stop. Continue. Consider.

This simple protocol helps leadership teams:

  • Identify what needs to be added
  • Eliminate what’s no longer aligned
  • Protect what’s working
  • Think strategically about what’s next

Whether used in a leadership retreat or a focused team session, this process creates the Clarity and shared direction teams need to move forward together.

Key takeaway:

Your team doesn’t need to work harder.

They need to work together—on the right things, in the right way.

🔗 Resources & Links

Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors

This episode is sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems. Go to digicoach.com and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing.

This episode is also brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at HeyTutor.com

Darrin Peppard Dr. Darrin Peppard

Dr. Darrin Peppard is an author, leadership coach, consultant, and speaker focused on organizational culture and climate, and growing emerging leaders. Darrin is the best-selling author of the book Road to Awesome, and is the host of the Leaning into Leadership podcast. As a ‘recovering high school principal’, Darrin shares strategies and lessons learned from 26 years in public education to help leaders gain clarity, find joy in their work, and walk in their purpose.