The Conversation Your Executive Team Has Avoided All Year.

What Most Leadership Teams Won't Say, Until It’s Too Late.

Author

Jealeania Morris
November 20, 2025

THE YEAR A CEO CHOSE DEVELOPMENT
AND EVERYTHING SHIFTED

Last December, I sat across from a CEO carrying the same burden many leaders
quietly hold:

  • A leadership team that wasn’t aligned

  • Meetings where only a few voices spoke up

  • Tension between departments

  • People taking things personally instead of professionally

  • A culture that felt fragmented, but no one wanted to say it out loud

He asked me:
“Can we really afford development right now?”

And I told him the truth, many executives are wrestling with:
“You can’t afford to keep things going the way they are.”

Six months into 2025, after Courageous Leadership, executive coaching, and team alignment work, here’s what changed:

  • A decrease in conflict among leadership team members

  • An increase in decision-making speed

  • An increase in trust and collaboration

  • Employees reported higher engagement and clarity

He later told me:
“The gift wasn’t just the development, it was also getting our team back.”

This is the same transformation that organizations across the industries we served experienced this year, from electric cooperatives, to healthcare organizations, to municipal leadership teams, to nonprofits, to senior living communities, to communications and member services teams, and large-scale HR departments.

WHY Q4 IS CRITICAL AND WHERE LEADERS ARE FEELING THE PRESSURE

Across the organizations we served this year, the top pain points were:

  1. Division and interpersonal tension: Leaders weren’t openly addressing conflict, leading to resentment and avoidance.

  2. Low engagement & inconsistent participation: Meetings were dominated by the same three voices. Others were checked out, guarded, or fearful of saying the wrong thing.

  3. Communication breakdowns: Important information wasn’t being communicated clearly. Assumptions replaced clarity. Silence replaced collaboration.

  4. Emotional fatigue & burnout among leaders: Especially in utilities, healthcare, and municipal teams navigating intense workloads.

  5. Leaders promoted into roles without support: High performers became managers, but without coaching, tools, or emotional intelligence training.

  6. Culture that looked good from the outside… but felt strained inside: A reality leaders feel but rarely admit.

And global data backs this:
➡️ 70% of culture is shaped by leadership behavior (CCL)
➡️ 62% of employees will leave if their manager doesn’t grow (Gallup)
➡️ Only 14% of CEOs feel confident in their leadership bench strength

Your Q4 decisions determine your Q1 results. Your 2026 culture depends on what you invest in right now.

THE GIFT OF DEVELOPMENT: WHY IT MATTERS

Most organizations give end-of-year:

  • Recognition

  • Appreciation lunches

  • Bonuses

  • Company-wide gifts

Important…but none of these solve the issues leaders are actually dealing with:

  • Tough conversations that aren’t happening

  • Emotional landmines between coworkers

  • Leaders avoiding accountability

  • Lack of clarity between departments

  • Team members operating in silos

  • Promises made in meetings that don’t translate into action

“Development heals the root issues leaders avoid, not just the symptoms they manage.” - Lena Morris

This year alone, Authentic Encounters helped leadership teams:

  • Say the things they’d avoided for years

  • Repair strained relationships

  • Break generational patterns of poor communication

  • Strengthen trust across teams

  • Increase psychological safety

  • Build relationships across departments

  • Create leadership alignment that trickles down to the entire organization

These are the gifts that last longer than bonuses or branded mugs.

2026 READINESS: WHAT HIGH-PERFORMING TEAMS ARE DOING RIGHT NOW

  • Executive team alignment

  • Manager and emerging leader coaching

  • Courageous conversations training

  • Emotional intelligence development

  • Accountability frameworks

  • Leadership pipeline strengthening

Because for 2026, high goals require high alignment. And high alignment requires stronger leaders.

HOW AUTHENTIC ENCOUNTERS CAN SUPPORT YOU

As you move through these final 29 business days of 2025, here’s how I can support you:

Executive Coaching

All-Employee Engagement Days

Keynote Presentations

Train-the-Trainer
Workshops

Team Building

Organizational Culture
Reset

If you’re open to exploring how Authentic Encounters can support your development needs in 2026:

These are the gifts that transform work, culture, and community. This season, give your team and yourself the gift that lasts:

Development. Vision. Courage. Growth. Leadership that shapes 2026 and beyond.

Honored to walk with you,

Discover all our courses and coaching services, unlock measurable impact today, visit: authenticencountersllc.com