Why Misalignment from Senior Leadership Rolls Downhill

Your Organisation says it's aligned. It probably isn't.And the problem starts at the top.Zora Artis and Wayne Aspland have spent 7 years studying the gap between what leadership teams say they're doing and what's actually happening inside organizations. And their findings are uncomfortable. In their latest global study, drawing on interviews with 55 CEOs and senior executives across five continents, they found that leaders routinely leave strategy meetings carrying completely different understandings of the direction they just agreed on. Nobody admits it. And communications professionals get handed the impossible job of aligning everyone else around a strategy the leadership team hasn't genuinely aligned on themselves. In this episode, we break down why the gap has barely moved in seven years, what's actually driving it, and what communications professionals are uniquely positioned to do about it.  The full findings are being presented IABC World Conference 2026 in Toronto this June.Register https://wc.iabc.com/  Download the full Report and Infographic Summary here. Listen For4:11 What does true organizational alignment actually mean beyond agreement?7:44 Why do leaders think they’re aligned but act differently after meetings?9:09 How do fear and ego silently destroy alignment in executive teams?12:18 What is “glass head syndrome” and why does it derail strategy execution?17:18 Is AI making organizational alignment better or worse?Guests:Zora ArtisWebsite Artis Advisory | Website Clear Leaders | Email | LinkedInWayne AsplandWebsite Clear Leaders | Email | LinkedIn DougSubstack | Website | LinkedIn Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it.Apply to be a guest on the podcastConnect with usLinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | PinterestSend us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episodeSupport the show