enfr

talk
to us

New York
250 Park Avenue,
14th Floor New York City, NY 10177

Connecticut
22 Thorndal Circle,
3rd Floor Darien, CT 06820

Paris
23 rue du Mail
75002 Paris – France

info@beperpetual.com
Attributes of the t3 framework:
the right stuff

The "right stuff" is about ensuring the right people are in place and ready to deliver. They feel strongly that they are working with a group of people they respect and can get the job done. The foundation of any team are the people who comprise it. The needs of any team go far beyond ensuring they "can do" the job itself (competence) and extend to areas that allow the team, and its individual members, to work effectively together in delivering the desired outcomes.

These include, for example, possessing a growth mindset, allowing people to adapt more effectively to adversity and solve problems that lead to a breakthrough (‘can do’ attitude). Openness to other’s ideas (a true team player), grit and positivity are other examples of traits of people that are important on any team.

Simply put, members of the team "can do, can do".

clarity & alignment

People and teams are clear on what they need to do and why it is important. High-performing team feel strongly that the direction is clear, and line-of-sight exists between their work and that of the teams or organization on the whole.

There is clarity in the vision, mission and objectives of the team and clarity in how such objectives cascade down to each and every member within it.

Clarity is nothing without alignment, at least over the longer-term. People who know what to do can certainly deliver some good results, within their own sphere of influence; however, alignment is vital for sustained execution excellence. Alignment suggests that people are committed to their role and what they need to do to produce good results.

Simply put, members of the team "know what to do."

empowerment

Empowerment is all about ensuring people have the freedom, support, and tools to deliver on what is expected along with the systems and process to work effectively together.

The nature of the way organizations are designed and the likelihood that most are populated by human beings leads to a natural dysfunction that often is referred to as silo thinking or behavior. Left alone, silo behavior and potentially relational-based conflict WILL arise. This calls for organizations to install a ritual that ensure these are outlined, clarified, and negotiated so that people can work effectively together in driving value for their customers, and the business.

Additionally, we find many teams that have too many priorities that are crippling the team’s effectiveness and/or leading to burnout. Typically, ad hoc demands from the business may be the culprit, and without a priority reconciliation process, frustration emerges.

Simply put, members of the team are "allowed and enabled to".

belonging

Belonging suggests that people fit within your organizational context—they "belong" here and are connected to the organization.

Organizations cannot afford to have disengaged employees—and yet, many in the workforce report being actively disengaged. Others are passively disengagement manifesting in some form of "quiet quitting." This results in lost productivity and an unhappy workplace in general.

While there are many factors that may be at play here, the most important one is a sense of connection people have with their company, a belief that they (the company) are doing the right thing (beyond making money) and that they are operating in a way that is consistent with making a real contribution to society. For newer generations of workers this is of particular importance. It all starts with purpose and values.

Simply put, members of the team "believe it's right to do".

agile execution

Agile Execution is all about how the team works together to adapt to dynamic conditions. It is our belief that no initial plan will survive for very long, placing a burden on the team to pivot consistently in order to deliver upon their strategic outcomes.

In today’s VUCA world, planning is taking on new forms as organizations recognize that within weeks after initiating any plan, it can be rendered, at worst case, useless, or in best case, intentions remain on track but how one gets there changes rapidly. The environment is simply too dynamic to invest months preparing, planning, and budgeting for a reality that may not exist in six months.

In our view, get the strategic intent right, plan on how to get there, and instill agile execution rituals that allow the team to adapt to the realities of executing against the plan.

Simply put, members of the team "will do what it takes with integrity".

togetherness

A sense of togetherness results when the teams do the other five attributes well, leading to sustained high-performance and lots of enjoyment working with fellow colleagues. No matter how remote a team may operate, leaders need to work to secure this sense of "togetherness" and, ideally, bring people together every so often.

In such teams, not only do you have exemplary engagement and behaviors from all constituent members but that final piece of "social glue" -- individuals motivated also by the very company of their team colleagues. This is the zone where intra-relationships are defined by shared levels of high professional respect and, indeed, deep friendships.

Team members bearing this attribute scale even greater heights (sometimes literally!) because not only are they passionate about what they do (as built on all the preceding qualities) but it is this comradeship that sits at the very nexus of this passion. There is no place they would rather be than with the companionship of their comrades and, with this fellowship, a sense of collective invincibility. For such teams, there is a mindset of "anything together".

Simply put, members of the team "build a legacy".

blog posts

why your leadership team’s first allegiance matters more than you think

“Why are they so focused on their own business unit?” It’s a question we often hear from CEOs and executive sponsors. Not out of frustration, but out of a growing recognition that something vital is missing – cross-enterprise leadership. Why does each executive seem to optimize for their own vertical – even when the bigger picture calls for integration?

This isn’t a problem of intent. It’s structural. It’s cultural. And it’s remarkably common.

At Perpetual, we’ve seen this dynamic unfold across organizations navigating growth, transformation, and complexity. It’s not that leaders don’t care. It’s that many have lost sight of who their First Team truly is.

Defining the “first team” – and why it’s so often forgotten

The First Team isn’t the one that reports into you. It’s the one you sit on: the executive leadership team collectively responsible for the direction, cohesion, and performance of the entire enterprise.

When leaders define their primary team as their business unit, it naturally leads to protectionism, misaligned priorities, and limited collaboration. It’s not malicious—it’s adaptive. As complexity rises, so does the gravitational pull toward local wins, budget protection, and headcount defense.

But the cost of that mindset is real.

The hidden cost of siloed leadership

When business units operate in isolation, organizations lose their ability to move as one. Strategies stall. Resources are under-leveraged. Trust weakens. And execution slows.

According to Havard Business Review, more than 80% of executives acknowledge silos in their organization, and 97% say those silos negatively impact growth. These aren’t mid-level issues. They originate and can be resolved at the top.

What high-functioning leadership teams do differently

At Perpetual, our work centers around helping senior teams reset what it means to lead—together. Through our t3® framework, we explore six attributes of high-performing teams, including clarity, trust, empowerment, and alignment.

The most effective leadership teams aren’t just strong individually – they’re aligned collectively. They think like owners of the enterprise, not just operators of their unit. They hold each other accountable. They debate openly. And they prioritize what’s best for the organization over what’s convenient for their corner of it.

Rebuilding first team thinking

Here’s how aligned leadership teams start to shift the dynamic:

  1. Anchor around a shared ambition – Create a forward-looking vision that requires interdependence and shared success.
  2. Create space for real debate – Use leadership forums to surface tension, align priorities, and make decisions as one team.
  3. Clarify roles and mutual accountabilities – Define not just what leaders own, but what they owe each other.
  4. Invest in relational trust – Encourage leaders to understand one another as humans, not just roles.
  5. Model enterprise curiosity – Shift from “What’s best for my business unit?” to “What does the enterprise need most from me right now?”

Our role in the journey

Perpetual partners with leadership teams to realign around their true First Team. Using our t3® diagnostic, experiential team coaching, and targeted leadership labs, we help uncover where drift has set in—and co-create solutions that reinforce cohesion and clarity.

We don’t bring a one-size-fits-all answer. Instead, we bring structure, evidence, and partnership to help teams lead at the level their business now requires.

Final thought

If your executive team is optimized for business unit performance at the expense of enterprise goals, you’re not just leaving value on the table—you’re compromising long-term health.

Ask your leadership team: Who do you consider your First Team?
Their answer might be the clearest signal of alignment you’ll get.

See more insights

Re-energizing a company in transformation: our 2-stage Leadership journey with First Aid Beauty

Beauty Insights: “Grab the popcorn, 2026 will be off the charts”

Quarterly Insights – Empowering Talent, Delivering Excellence – Q4 2025

Using Insights Discovery to unlock team performance