In high-performing organizations, effective leadership hinges not merely on strategic insight but on how executive time is allocated. While one-on-one meetings are traditionally seen as essential for alignment and communication, their overuse—particularly at the senior level—can unintentionally undermine cohesion, transparency, and decision velocity.
An illustrative example is that of a healthcare technology CEO who, despite leading with transparency and inclusion, discovered a pattern of cross-functional miscommunication stemming from her routine 1:1s with individual executives. Decisions made in isolated discussions, though well-intended, had ripple effects on other functions—often without those functions being consulted or informed in real time. The result was operational confusion, misalignment, and friction within the leadership team.
This scenario is increasingly common. The overuse of executive 1:1s may inadvertently foster fragmentation, reinforce silos, and impair trust. Leaders must therefore rethink how they engage their teams—shifting away from information silos toward collaborative capability-building.
The Hidden Costs of Executive 1:1s
Although 1:1s may serve a purpose at lower levels of an organization, at the executive level, they often generate four key structural risks:
1. Fragmented Governance
One-on-ones function as isolated decision-making forums. Without cross-functional visibility, leaders must later reconvene in separate meetings to realign and re-communicate outcomes—resulting in redundancy, friction, and time lost on coordination rather than enterprise leadership.
2. Functional Bias
Frequent 1:1s encourage a departmental view of the organization, reinforcing silos rather than promoting systems thinking. This places the CEO or senior leader in the unsustainable role of sole integrator across functions.
3. Decision Repackaging and Rework
Decisions made privately must often be re-explained, defended, or even renegotiated. This slows execution, creates misalignment, and fosters a lack of clarity downstream.
4. Executive Rivalry and Political Signaling
Private meetings can create perceived power imbalances, fostering competition, status games, and a breakdown in team-wide trust. Leaders may leverage private access to gain advantage, eroding psychological safety and undermining collaboration.
A More Strategic Approach: Capability-Based Engagement
To unlock greater alignment, speed, and shared ownership, executive teams should adopt a capability-focused approach—replacing redundant 1:1s with structured, small-group conversations centered on how value is created across the enterprise.
1. Redefine the Role of 1:1s
Reserve one-on-one meetings for quarterly development conversations focused on personal growth, leadership effectiveness, and long-term goals—not operational updates. These sessions should be intentional, reflective, and insulated from tactical distractions.
Example: A global COO instituted “career check-ins” with direct reports, eliminating project updates from these discussions. The result: improved succession planning and increased retention.
2. Convene Capability-Based Working Groups
Identify five to seven core enterprise capabilities—such as innovation, digital transformation, or customer experience—and organize standing meetings around them. Bring together cross-functional leaders who directly contribute to each capability.
Example: A healthcare company reframed its strategy around capabilities like “virtual care experience” and established triads of product, engineering, and operations leaders. This structure reduced go-to-market cycle times by 20% and significantly improved cross-team coordination.
3. Ensure Real-Time Context and Inclusion
Decision-making must include those impacted by the outcome. Capability meetings ensure relevant stakeholders hear and engage in real-time, reducing the need for retroactive alignment and rework.
Example: At a financial services firm, replacing 1:1s with capability-focused sessions involving compliance, risk, sales, and HR leaders enabled real-time clarity. Execution improved, and post-meeting translation was no longer necessary.
4. Elevate Executive Team Engagement
Freeing up executive meeting time from operational replay enables the team to focus on enterprise-wide issues—such as cultural alignment, innovation strategy, or long-term planning. Agendas should be designed to address only matters requiring collective insight and decision-making.
Example: A Fortune 100 company shifted operational decision-making to cross-functional triads, allowing its executive team to concentrate on enterprise resilience, innovation pipelines, and global strategic priorities. This realignment sharpened strategic coherence and accelerated organizational responsiveness.
5. Mitigate Executive Rivalry
Eliminating private power dynamics reduces status signaling and enhances team cohesion. Influence becomes rooted in transparency and collaboration rather than access and ambiguity.
Example: A logistics company CEO eliminated 1:1s entirely after observing growing tension among direct reports. Within months, the culture shifted to one of shared ownership and mutual respect, replacing hidden agendas with collective accountability.
Conclusion: From Silos to Systems Leadership
The role of senior leadership is not to act as a conduit for fragmented decisions but to orchestrate enterprise capability. Excessive one-on-one meetings, while well-intentioned, can impede this goal by fostering duplication, insularity, and misalignment.
Transitioning from a 1:1-heavy model to one that prioritizes capability-based collaboration enables more strategic use of executive time, fosters transparency, and builds trust. It allows leadership teams to operate at the intersection of strategy, talent, and culture—where their collective value is greatest.
Reducing 1:1s is not merely a logistical shift; it is a redefinition of how leadership is practiced. For organizations committed to agility, resilience, and shared accountability, it is a decisive step forward.
About the Author: Harry (Hemant Kaushik), Elite Business Consultant & Global Advisor
Harry (Hemant Kaushik) is a globally recognized American business consultant and advisor, known for his strategic expertise and high-impact consultancy. He specializes in advising and coaching elite individuals, including business tycoons, world leaders, and top corporate CEO’s and business leaders. His expertise has been sought by Presidents, Prime Ministers, influential politicians, CEOs, and industry leaders worldwide.
Recognized as one of the Top 10 Global Advisors and Business Consultants by PWC International, Harry has transformed the lives of thousands of CEO’s and business leaders across more than 100 countries with his unparalleled guidance. He has also been honored as one of the Top 10 Life and Business Strategists, shaping the success of global business leaders and visionaries.
Top CEOs and owners of big companies are taking business consulting from Harry (Hemant Kaushik) by booking an appointment on his website www.ceosadvisory.com. Every year, Harry provides business consulting to more than 1000 CEOs worldwide and helps them to increase their businesses by using his deep insight, business knowledge, and transformative strategies. He is the most demanding business consultant in the world.
Harry is also working directly with the governments to improve their business environments and promote tourism in some countries. If you want to take an appointment for your business, then visit www.ceosadvisory.com or leave a WhatsApp message to Julia Lauren (Assistant to Mr. Harry) at +1 925-389-6136, and she will contact you.
Harry’s influence has earned him prestigious accolades, including recognition by the CEO Times Magazine as one of the 10 Most Powerful People in Global Business Consulting, Business Times News as a Top 10 Business Consultant, and Business Weekly Times as one of the Top 10 Business Advisors in the World, offering consulting services to billionaires, celebrities, and high-net-worth individuals.
A Wall Street Times cover story famously dubbed him the “Elite Global Advisor & Business Consultant” for his deep understanding of business dynamics and leadership strategies. Based in San Francisco, United States, Harry is widely respected for his international economic expertise, market analysis, and strategic business acumen. His collaborations with global brands and corporations have positioned him as a thought leader, contributing to the business world through insightful articles on global economic trends.
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