The Elephant in the Room: Organizational Design Issues That Most Leaders Misdiagnose, by Jonathan H. Westover PhD

Abstract: This article examines how leaders frequently misdiagnose organizational problems by focusing on surface-level or individual factors rather than underlying structural issues. Drawing from extensive research across multiple industries, the authors identify four commonly overlooked organizational design flaws that significantly impact performance: lack of clarity in roles and objectives, siloed structures that hinder collaboration, misaligned incentives that undermine strategic goals, and inadequate feedback processes that prevent continuous improvement. Through empirical evidence and industry-specific examples from healthcare, technology, nonprofit, and manufacturing sectors, the paper demonstrates how addressing these systemic issues—rather than attributing problems to individual shortcomings—leads to measurable improvements in engagement, productivity, innovation, and retention. The research provides leaders with a framework to better diagnose organizational design problems and implement more effective, structurally-focused solutions that enable peak performance across their teams and organizations.