Set Up Your C-Suite to Execute Your Strategy.

This article argues that executive teams often become bloated, politically driven “clubs” due to myths about titles, hierarchy, and capability, which undermine decision speed and accountability. Using the example of a new CEO who inherited an 18-person C-suite, the authors show how failing to intentionally design the executive team prevents strategy execution and creates organizational drift. They propose a deliberate design approach in which CEOs define the team’s purpose, set clear boundaries, and shape roles, size, and key functional “seams” according to the company’s strategic priorities. When CEOs build teams that reflect strategy rather than status or reporting lines, they create smaller, more focused groups that make faster decisions and enable true enterprise leadership.