How to debug a team that isn’t working: the Waterline Model

Original: Lenny Rachitsky · 03/03/2026

Summary

The article discusses the Waterline Model, a diagnostic tool for managers to identify the root causes of team underperformance without resorting to blame.

Key Insights

“blaming people for structural problems is one of the biggest leadership mistakes” — Molly Graham’s insights on leadership traps.

“you should always snorkel before you scuba” — An analogy used to explain the layers of the Waterline Model.

“self-preservation can be a rational response to a faulty environment” — Discussing team dynamics and individual responses.

Topics

Full Article

If youre a premium subscriberAdd the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.comWhen their team underperforms, most managers jump straight to blaming people. Molly Grahamwhos worked alongside Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, and Chamath Palihapitiyaexplains how thats one of the biggest leadership traps there is. In this episode, she shares the Waterline Model: a diagnostic model to help uncover the real source of team problems, before touching an org chart.Listen now: YouTube | Apple | SpotifyIn this episode, youll learn:Why blaming people for structural problems is one of the biggest leadership mistakesThe four layers of the Waterline Model, and why that order mattersWhy you should always snorkel before you scubaHow self-preservation can be a rational response to a faulty environmentHow to make clean, decisive calls when you finally reach the individual layerRead the post Read more