Smart teams do not lose their intelligence when they meet. They lose their ability to let doubt survive long enough to change a decision. What looks like alignment is often just unspoken hesitation being quietly buried by momentum.

Founders often believe they are being clear, while teams are carefully protecting themselves. The gap is not motivation or competence. It is language. What sounds casual and empowering at the top lands as risk and exposure below, shaping behavior in ways leaders rarely intend.