The 5 Lost Disciplines of Leadership
Great executive teams don't execute because they're smarter or work harder.
They execute because they practice five team disciplines most leadership teams have lost.
Leadership isn’t solo work—it’s a team sport. Even if you’re the only executive, you’re leading with others, not alone. But over time, office politics, relationship challenges, and unresolved conflict erode the five foundational disciplines that make teams execute together.
You don’t need a new strategy. You don’t need better people. You need to recover what’s been lost.
Typical results: 40-60% faster decisions, 2-3× higher initiative completion, 15-25% reclaimed executive capacity
See How 5LD Works ↓
THE 5 LOST DISCIPLINES
DISCIPLINE 1: ALIGNMENT
Lost to: Drift
What you hear yourself saying:
- “If I asked each exec our top 3 priorities, I’d get different answers”
- “We agree in meetings, then everyone goes their own way”
- “Teams are busy but scattered”
What’s happening: Without shared priorities and a common language for tradeoffs, teams drift in different directions. Executives leave meetings with different takeaways. Sales, Product, and Ops pursue competing goals. Energy scatters instead of compounds.
The cost: Misalignment costs 5-10% of revenue annually in wasted effort, rework, and conflicting initiatives. For a $100M company, that’s $5-10M walking out the door every year.
What we restore:
- Shared north star — One-page strategic focus everyone can recite
- Unified priorities — Same top 3, same language for tradeoffs
- Common scoreboard — Everyone tracking the same metrics
What this looks like in practice: If I ask each exec “What are our top 3 priorities?” they give the same answer, same order. Trade-off decisions reference the shared north star explicitly. Cross-functional conflicts get resolved using agreed-upon priorities, not politics.
Typical improvement: Alignment score 0.6 → 1.8 (out of 2.0) in 90 days. Teams stop scattering, start compounding.
DISCIPLINE 2: DECISION
Lost to: Chaos
What you hear yourself saying:
- “Didn’t we already decide this?”
- “Decisions take weeks—or get revisited three times”
- “Everything lands on my desk because no one else will decide”
What’s happening: Without clear decision rights, criteria, or a “no re-litigation” norm, decisions stall, escalate unnecessarily, or get reopened endlessly. Managers wait for perfect data. “Let’s circle back” with no date set. Analysis paralysis becomes the norm.
The cost: Decision chaos wastes $1-5M annually in executive time, missed opportunities, and bottlenecks. Managers spend 37% of their time making decisions—and 60% of that time is wasted.
What we restore:
- Clear decision rights — RACI or DRI matrix (who decides what)
- Decision standards — Criteria defined before discussion starts
- No re-litigation norm — Decide once, commit, move forward
What this looks like in practice: Every major decision has one owner, clear success criteria, and a deadline. Decisions stick—they don’t get reopened in new meetings or contexts. Median decision cycle time drops from 6-8 weeks to 2-3 weeks.
Typical improvement: Decision cycle time cut 40-60% (47 days → 18 days). Opportunities captured instead of missed.
DISCIPLINE 3: EXECUTION
Lost to: Sprawl
What you hear yourself saying:
- “We have 40 initiatives going—I can’t name 4 that are done”
- “Everything is 80% complete”
- “Meetings are endless and go nowhere”
What’s happening: Without WIP (work-in-progress) limits, protected focus time, or a finish rhythm, teams start everything and complete nothing. Too many priorities mean nothing is truly #1. Firefighting crowds out strategic work. Initiatives die at 80%.
The cost: 67% of strategic initiatives never deliver value. That’s millions invested in incomplete work—plus the opportunity cost of what you didn’t finish.
What we restore:
- WIP limits — Cap concurrent initiatives (finish 3 before starting more)
- Protected focus time — Strategic work gets space, not just urgent
- Finish rhythm — Visible weekly progress, not endless “80% done”
What this looks like in practice: Executive team caps strategic initiatives at 3-5 max (down from 20-40). Weekly accountability: “What did we finish?” not “What are we working on?” Strategic work has protected time blocks—firefighting doesn’t consume the entire calendar.
Typical improvement: Initiative completion 13% → 58% in 6 months. Strategic plans actually deliver value.
DISCIPLINE 4: ACCOUNTABILITY
Lost to: Avoidance
What you hear yourself saying:
- “Missed commitments are just excused now”
- “No one holds each other accountable—it all comes back to me”
- “Standards have slipped and I don’t know how to reset them”
What’s happening: Without explicit standards, peer-to-peer accountability, or consequence loops, performance gaps are tolerated. Hard conversations are avoided. Managers smooth over tensions instead of addressing them. The best people leave; the rest coast.
The cost: 18% productivity loss when accountability disappears. Plus turnover of your top performers—replacing an executive costs 2× their salary. High performers leave when they see low performers coast.
What we restore:
- Explicit standards — Results + behavior expectations, documented
- Peer scorecards — Team holds each other accountable, not just the CEO
- Consequence loops — Fast, fair, consistent—misses addressed within days, not quarters
What this looks like in practice: If someone misses a commitment, the team addresses it in the next meeting—calmly, directly. Standards are visible, documented, and applied consistently (no favorites). Feedback happens weekly, not annually—performance gaps close in 60-90 days, not years.
Typical improvement: Voluntary turnover reduced 30-50%. Performance gaps closed faster. Standards hold under pressure.
DISCIPLINE 5: INTEGRATION
Lost to: Stagnation
What you hear yourself saying:
- “We keep making the same mistakes”
- “No one does post-mortems—we just move to the next fire”
- “We adopted [new tool/AI/system] but it’s not integrated into how we work”
What’s happening: Without after-action reviews, learning loops, or integration processes, teams repeat mistakes and can’t absorb new tools or insights. New initiatives launch without learning from past failures. Team is “too busy to learn.” Competitors who adapt faster pull ahead.
The cost: You waste time and budget on tools that never stick. Market position erodes as faster-learning competitors adapt while you stagnate.
What we restore:
- Integration reviews — Map second-order effects, assign owners
- Learning loops — After-action reviews on major initiatives (what worked, what didn’t)
- Continuous improvement cadence — Update playbooks, don’t just add tools
What this looks like in practice: After every major initiative or failure: 30-minute post-mortem with documented lessons. New tools (AI, tech) aren’t just “launched”—they’re integrated into decision-making, meetings, workflows. Team adapts faster than competitors because learning is systematized, not ad hoc.
Typical improvement: Time-to-adapt cut in half. Innovation velocity increases. Mistakes aren’t repeated.
Total AVG Cost of Lost Discipline:
For a $100M company: $4-12M in annual discipline cost
For a $500M company: $20-80M in annual discipline cost
These aren’t theoretical losses. They show up as margin erosion, missed deadlines, talent turnover, and opportunities lost to faster competitors.
These disciplines don’t replace your operating system (EOS, OKRs, 4DX, Scaling Up)—they’re what make those systems actually work. Most frameworks assume discipline exists. We measure it, then install it.
These five team disciplines are detailed in my forthcoming book The 5 Lost Disciplines of Leadership.
Why Tools Fail: Installing Disciplines on People Who Can’t Use Them
You’ve tried frameworks before. EOS. OKRs. 4DX. They worked—for a while. Then they didn’t. Here’s why.
Most frameworks assume behavioral capacity exists. They give you the structure (meetings, scorecards, goals) but don’t tell you who has the capacity to execute it.
That’s where Commitment Quotient (CQ) comes in.
CQ is the only trademarked behavioral measurement system that predicts who can execute what by measuring three behaviors under pressure:
INITIATIVE
Bias to action. Ownership of outcomes. Proactive problem-solving.
Who needs high Initiative:
- Leaders restoring Alignment (surface and resolve drift)
- Leaders restoring Decision (move forward without perfect data)
What happens when Initiative is low:
- Decisions escalate unnecessarily
- Problems fester until they become crises
- “Waiting for permission” culture takes root
APPLIED GRIT
Persistence through obstacles. Finishing commitments. Recovery from setbacks.
Who needs high Grit:
- Leaders restoring Execution (finish before starting new work)
- Leaders restoring Accountability (hold standards under pressure)
What happens when Grit is low:
- Initiatives die at 80%
- Standards slip when pushback occurs
- Team quits when resistance hits
LEARNABILITY
Openness to feedback. Speed of skill acquisition. Ability to unlearn old patterns.
Who needs high Learnability:
- Leaders restoring Integration (integrate new tools, capture lessons)
- All leaders (recovering disciplines requires behavior change)
What happens when Learnability is low:
- Same mistakes repeated
- Feedback ignored or defended
- “We’ve always done it this way” culture
How We Use CQ:
In the 3-Week Audit:
- Run CQ Profile on all executives
- Build capacity heatmap (who has what)
- Identify gaps that will block transformation
In the Engagement:
- Assign discipline restoration to leaders with matching capacity
- Provide targeted coaching for capacity gaps
- Restructure roles if critical mismatches exist
The difference: To install team disciplines, we need to know who has the capacity to drive them. CQ reveals the invisible constraint most consultants miss.
Three Ways to Work Together
Whether you need diagnosis, focused repair, or full transformation—we meet you where you are.
START HERE
5LD Performance Audit
3 weeks | $25K (credited if you proceed)
What you get:
Week 1: Discipline Diagnostic
- Interview CEO + executive team
- Observe leadership meeting
- Identify which of the 5 disciplines are broken
- Quantify dysfunction cost using research benchmarks
Week 2: Capacity + Measurement Audit
- Run CQ Profile on executive team
- Build capacity heatmap (who can drive what)
- Identify 3 metrics you already track that we can move
- Audit data quality and tracking systems
Week 3: Value Projection + Recommendation
- Calculate total dysfunction cost
- Project value potential (conservative/expected/best case)
- Calculate ROI (must exceed 10×)
- Make go/no-go recommendation
Deliverable:
Performance Partnership Readiness Report (30-40 pages)
Decision Point:
Either party can walk away. If you proceed, audit fee is credited to engagement.
FOCUSED REPAIR
5LD Sprint
90 days | $45-65K (fixed fee)
What you get:
Pick ONE broken discipline to restore:
Decision Sprint ($50K)
Install decision-rights matrix, reduce decision time 40%+
Execution Sprint ($55K)
Implement WIP limits, cut initiatives by 60%, double completion rate
Accountability Sprint ($60K)
Define performance standards, install feedback systems and consequence loops
Adaptation Sprint ($55K)
Create after-action review processes, integrate new tools systematically
Structure:
- 2-day intensive workshop/retreat
- Mini CQ Profile (5-10 leaders)
- Custom scoreboard for that discipline
- 12 weekly accountability calls
- Implementation playbook
Best for:
Companies with one identified problem who want fast results before committing to full transformation.
FULL TRANSFORMATION
5LD Performance Partnership
12 months | $75K-$3M+ (performance-based)
What you get:
Phase 1: REVEAL (30-60 days)
- 3-5 day intensive workshop teaching all 5 disciplines
- Build scorecards for all 5 disciplines
- Install measurement systems
- Define explicit standards and operating rhythms
Phase 2: ACTIVATE (90 days)
- Weekly accountability calls (12 weeks)
- Sprint focus on worst discipline first
- All 5 disciplines tracked weekly on scoreboard
- Fix highest-cost dysfunction
Phase 3: REINFORCE (6-9 months)
- Monthly check-ins
- Quarterly discipline deep-dives
- Address backsliding immediately
- Build team self-sufficiency
The 10× Guarantee:
You’ll realize at least 10× return on total investment (fees + executive time). Success fees only paid quarterly when cumulative value confirms 10× ratio is maintained. Either party can exit at checkpoints.
Typical Value Created:
- $100M company: $5-15M
- $500M company: $20-80M
- $4B company: $50-200M
PROOF (Case Study)
From Politeness to Performance: Installing Accountability in a $140M Field Services Company
Company Snapshot:
Residential/commercial HVAC & electrical
$140M revenue, 620 employees (450 field techs)
Executive team: CEO, COO, Regional GMs, Service Ops
The Problem:
What was broken: Lost Accountability Discipline → Standards had eroded over time. Managers avoided tough conversations. Performance gaps were tolerated.
What they were seeing:
- Deals discounted on the truck (margin leakage)
- Incomplete job checklists (quality gaps)
- Safety corners cut to “save time”
- Managers avoiding feedback conversations
What the CEO was saying: “We used to have higher standards. Now missed commitments are just accepted. I don’t know how to reset without being the bad guy.”
What We Did:
Week 1-2: Codified Non-Negotiables
- Defined 12 service standards (safety, quality, pricing integrity, close-out proof)
- Each standard had a binary measure and consequence ladder
- Published standards company-wide—no ambiguity
Week 3-6: Installed Public Scorecards
- Weekly visibility by crew/branch: callbacks, NPS, checklist completion, TRIR, margin leakage
- Tied to transparent bonus plan
- Peer visibility created healthy competition
Week 7-10: Trained Managers in Firm-Fair-Fast 1:1s
- 15-minute weekly accountability conversations
- Evidence-based (not opinion-based)
- Templated notes with next-week commitments
Week 11-12: Launched Red Line Reviews
- Any job with >$500 variance or safety deviation triggered 24-hour root cause analysis
- Coach-the-coach debriefs with managers
The Results (90 Days):
Operational improvements:
- Checklist completion: 61% → 93%
- Unauthorized discounts: ↓ 71%
- Callback rate: 3.1% → 1.9% (↓ 38%)
- Gross margin: ↑ 220 basis points
- Safety (TRIR): ↓ 29%
People improvements:
- Voluntary tech turnover: ↓ 5.1 points
- Branch P&L variability: ↓ 44%
- NPS: ↑ 11 points
What the COO said: “We stopped thanking people for heroics that fixed preventable misses. Now we prevent the misses. Standards hold—every week, no exceptions.”
Strategic Takeaway:
Accountability is standards, evidence, and consequences—applied every week without exception.
If your culture celebrates the firefighter, you’re funding the fire.
If managers can’t hold a 15-minute standards conversation, margins will leak every single day.
Is 5LD Right for Your Executive Team?
You’re a Fit If…
✓ Revenue $50M-$5B
✓ 5-15 person executive team
✓ Smart people, solid strategy, but execution stalls
✓ Decisions take weeks or get re-opened
✓ Strategic initiatives start strong but die at 80%
✓ You hear yourself saying “Didn’t we already decide this?”
✓ Already tried frameworks (EOS, OKRs, 4DX) but they didn’t stick
✓ Willing to commit 12 months to transformation
✓ Ready for accountability and truth-telling
You’re NOT a Fit If…
✗ Revenue <$50M (consider our People Systems program instead)
✗ Executive team in financial crisis or distress
✗ CEO unwilling to participate actively
✗ No trackable metrics exist
✗ Unwilling to make hard people decisions if capacity gaps are critical
✗ Looking for quick fix or recommendations without implementation
✗ Budget <$75K or can’t commit 12 months
Not sure if you’re ready?
Run the 3-week audit. We’ll tell you if your team can execute the transformation—or if you should walk away.
We only accept 6-8 clients at once. If we don’t think we can deliver 10× ROI, we’ll say so in Week 3.
Common Questions About 5LD
Q: How is this different from EOS, OKRs, or Scaling Up?
A: Those are structural frameworks (meetings, goals, scorecards). 5LD is the discipline layer underneath. You can use EOS and 5LD together—in fact, 5LD is why EOS works when it works and fails when it fails. We install the team disciplines that make any framework executable.
Q: What if we don’t hit 10× ROI?
A: Success fees automatically adjust downward to maintain 10×. You never overpay. Worst case, you pay only the base fee ($50-100K) and keep whatever value was created. The 10× guarantee protects you.
Q: Do you work with companies outside North America?
A: Yes, but engagement logistics (travel, time zones) may increase investment. We focus primarily on US and Canadian companies $50M-$5B.
Q: What’s the CEO’s time commitment?
A:
- Audit: 2-4 hours/week for 3 weeks
- REVEAL phase: 3-5 days intensive + prep work
- ACTIVATE: 1 hour/week for accountability calls
- REINFORCE: 2-3 hours/month for check-ins
- Total Year 1: ~80-100 hours
Q: What if one executive refuses to participate?
A: That’s a capacity gap (likely low Learnability). If it’s a critical role and they won’t engage, we’ll recommend restructuring or replacement as part of the audit. Transformation requires full executive team buy-in—no exceptions.
Q: Can we start with just one discipline?
A: Yes—that’s the 90-Day Sprint. Pick your worst discipline (Decision, Execution, Accountability, or Adaptation), we restore it in 90 days. If it works, you can convert to the full Partnership.
Q: How long until we see results?
A: First measurable improvement typically shows within 60-90 days (one discipline restored). Full transformation (all 5 disciplines functional) takes 12 months. But you’ll feel momentum shift by Month 2.
Q: What happens if our team can’t execute this?
A: That’s what the CQ assessment reveals in Week 2 of the audit. If your team lacks the behavioral capacity to drive transformation, we’ll tell you in Week 3—and recommend either capacity-building first, restructuring, or walking away. We don’t take on clients we can’t help.
Stop Tolerating Eroded Disciplines
Your team is too smart, too expensive, and too valuable to waste time on broken disciplines. Let’s quantify what it’s costing you—and whether we can restore them.
Diagnose Your Team’s Lost Disciplines
3-week audit: $25K, full diagnosis, go/no-go recommendation
Find a time to talk or explore if 5LD is right for your team.
✓ We only accept 6-8 clients at once
✓ Either party can walk away after audit
✓ 10× ROI guaranteed or you don’t pay success fees
About 5LD:
This framework comes from 20+ years working with executive teams at Fortune 100 companies and founder-led businesses. I’ve also co-authored leadership collections with Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard, Brian Tracy, and Deepak Chopra.