My team is falling apart. What should I do?

When your team is falling apart, it’s tempting to rush into fixes. But often, the best first step is to slow down and reflect. What’s really going on beneath the surface? Where is there misalignment in vision, communication, or expectations? This is a moment to lead with integrity and curiosity, not panic. Take the time to check in with yourself and your people. Sometimes relationships need repair; sometimes structures need reshaping. Either way, this is a chance to reset—not just to restore what was, but to clarify what’s next.

Remember, people care deeply about what they help to create, especially when they’re volunteers or working from a place of purpose. When leadership is too centralized, people can feel disempowered or disconnected. Sharing responsibility, inviting input, and co-creating the path forward can breathe new life into a struggling team. And if the strategy that once worked no longer fits, that’s okay—projects grow, change, and adapt. This moment of unraveling might just be the beginning of a healthier, more grounded phase in your work.

‍

Having a different conversation together

• The Center for Courage and Renewal offers beautiful ways of structuring dialogue that slow down reactive conflict and restore presence.
• In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni outlines the hidden dynamics that weaken teams and offers a practical framework for building trust, clarity, and commitment.
• Liberating Structures offers a collection of facilitation tools that help distribute leadership and encourage everyone on the team to contribute meaningfully.

‍

Other tools to support you

• Create space for grief through music like Ahlay Blakeley’s wailing circles. 
• Find a retreat center near you.  
• Learn from leaders who have been through extraordinary difficulty, like Vincent Harding in this interview.