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When there's "drama" in a team, leaders should look for habits and systems that drain people's energy rather than assume the problem is difficult personalities, a leadership specialist says.

In her book, Don't lead like a jerk, Dynamic Leadership Programs Australia (DLPA) CEO Karlie Cremin says that when teams fail, "difficult personalities" are often blamed.

The more likely cause, she says, is work that isn't organised in a way that lets people succeed. Examples include priorities that change frequently, decisions stuck in inbox limbo, processes that exist only in a forgotten presentation, and leaders assuming people will "just figure it out".

"That's not a people problem," Cremin says. "That's a proficiency problem – the missing piece between good strategy and good execution...