How to build a leadership team that actually works

Leadership isn’t about seeing who can outlast the competition like some kind of corporate Hunger Games, argues Melanie Ryan. Here’s her advice for building a successful team

“May the odds be ever in your favour” makes for a great movie quote, but in the real world, pitting people against each other only creates dysfunction, kills morale, and drives good people away. The best teams don’t thrive on rivalry; they thrive on trust, collaboration, and a shared mission.

Think about it. Katniss and Peeta only survived because they worked together. When leadership becomes a game of survival of the fittest, everyone loses. If you want a strong, high-performing team, it’s time to ditch the toxic leadership tactics and build something better. And if you’re building an agency or an in-house team, getting leadership right isn’t optional. It’s essential. A well-led team isn’t just effective. It’s the foundation of a successful business.

Here are a few things to remember:

1. Toxic leadership kills teams
You can’t fix what you don’t acknowledge. Toxic leadership seeps in when personal ambition, secrecy, and power plays take priority over the bigger picture. Yes, I won’t deny businesses are full of politics, and it is often a fine art to navigate, but how you respond is critical. Watch out for these red flags:

Creating unnecessary competition: Turning colleagues into opponents instead of allies.
Keeping people in the dark: Withholding information so team members have to fight for clarity.
Playing favourites: Rewarding loyalty to the boss over actual results for the team or business.
Dodging accountability: Blaming individuals instead of owning problems as a team.
A toxic culture doesn’t just make work miserable. It chips away at confidence, performance, innovation, and retention. Let’s be honest – no one wants to work in a place like that.

2. Stop encouraging competition over collaboration
Some leaders think internal competition will drive results, but more often than not, it backfires. When you set people against each other, you:

Kill trust: When people see their teammates as threats, they stop sharing ideas.
· Fuel burnout: Constantly fighting for recognition is exhausting.

· Stifle innovation: The best ideas come from collaboration, not from people guarding their turf.

Instead of forcing people to “prove themselves,” create a culture where success is shared. When leaders work together, the whole organisation wins. This is even more crucial when you’re building a creative team. Innovation thrives in an environment of trust, not fear.

3. Impartiality matters – shut down gossip and drama
One of the biggest traps leaders fall into? Entertaining gossip and one-sided stories. “He said, she said” narratives create division and favouritism, making it impossible to lead fairly. If someone is brave enough to talk behind a colleague’s back, they should be brave enough to say it to their face.

As a leader, be impartial. Don’t take sides based on whispers and office politics. The best way to handle conflict? Bring both parties into the room and hash it out. No side conversations. No secret alliances. Just honest, direct conversations that lead to resolution. When leaders allow gossip to fester, they create an environment where people manipulate their way into favour, rather than earning trust through performance and integrity. We are all adults – it’s time to face the harsh truths and speak up.

4. Build a leadership team that’s actually aligned
A leadership team should be just that. A team. If everyone is working toward different goals, you’ve already lost. Make sure your team is aligned on what success actually looks like.

· Be transparent: Share key updates regularly and explain the “why” behind big decisions.

· Foster real conversations: Set up consistent check-ins where leaders can share challenges, ideas, and feedback without fear of backlash.

· Recognise collaboration, not just individual wins: Don’t only acknowledge individuals – shift performance metrics to reward teamwork.

· Handle conflict head-on: Address disagreements constructively instead of letting resentment simmer.

5. Lead by example
People follow actions, not job titles. If you want a team that’s open, accountable, and collaborative, it starts with you.

· Practise fairness: Hold everyone, including yourself, to the same standards. Nothing kills morale faster than favouritism.

· Give people room to lead: Set expectations, then trust your team to deliver.

· Provide the tools they need: Leadership isn’t about throwing people into the deep end and hoping they swim. Invest in development and resources.

6. Measure success differently
Forget the old “performance” metrics that only focus on individual wins. Strong leadership teams are built on trust, collaboration, and shared success.

· Measure collaboration frequency and quality: Look beyond the number of meetings they attend together. Rather track cross-functional projects, idea-sharing, and feedback loops. Strong teams communicate openly and solve problems together.

· Monitor retention rates: High turnover at leadership levels signals deeper cultural or structural issues. A stable leadership team fosters continuity, alignment, and long-term success.

· Evaluate progress toward shared business goals. Instead of siloed achievements, assess how well departments align to the overall vision. A leadership team that moves in sync drives meaningful, sustainable progress.

Toxic leadership is a choice. So is building a strong, unified leadership team.

Leadership isn’t about proving yourself. It’s about lifting others up. When your team trusts each other, aligns around a shared mission, and works as a unit, you don’t just hit your goals. You build something that lasts. And when you’re building an agency or in-house creative team, strong leadership is the difference between a team that thrives and one that barely survives.

At the end of the day, you have a choice. Will you be the kind of leader who turns work into the Hunger Games, or will you be the one who makes sure the whole team gets out of the arena together?

Melanie Ryan is an In-House Agency & Creative Ops Consultant and former VP Group Director of Operations at Sky Creative. She is now Founder of Walk the Floor which works with Brands to build and optimise in-house operating models, processes and teams

Melanie will be speaking at the Creative Operations Summit London on 28 March. IHALC is, once again, a partner with the event and can offer our community 20% off tickets with the promo code IHALC20 when booking here.