The Four Agreements: The Secret to Building Profitable, Aligned Teams

A proven framework for leadership, culture & lasting success.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re swimming against the current in business, or like your team just isn’t clicking, I want to share something with you that’s been a game-changer for me and my team. It’s a small book called The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. I often gifted it to my team members because the principles inside don’t just apply to our personal lives—they’re the keys to unlocking stronger, more aligned teams, and ultimately, a more profitable business.

Here’s how these agreements translate into business success:

1️⃣ Be Impeccable with Your Word

• Say what you mean, mean what you say. No more “I’ll get to that” when you know you won’t. No more fluff. When you’re clear and consistent, people trust you—and trust is the foundation of every high-performing team.

• Create a “No Gossip” policy. If you’ve got something to say, say it to the right person. Nothing kills team trust faster than side chatter.

• Be real about expectations. If you tell your team something is a priority, don’t change course every five minutes. And if you do? Own it. People respect honesty more than false certainty.

2️⃣ Don’t Take Anything Personally

• Normalize feedback. Feedback isn’t an attack—it’s a tool for growth. The more your team sees it that way, the faster you’ll all level up.

  • TIP: Here's the framework I use for feedback that's been effective:

    • Step 1.) Share the thing - be specific on what you're providing feedback on

    • Step 2.) Share the impact

    • Step 3.) Ask "What do you think?"

    • Step 4.) Align on a go-forward plan together

• Reframe rejection. Lost a deal? A client’s unhappy? That’s business. Take the lesson, not the weight. The second you stop making it about you, you free up energy to actually fix what’s broken.

• Lead with curiosity. If a team member seems off or a project isn’t working, instead of assuming the worst, ask: What’s going on here? Most of the time, it’s not personal—it’s just a misalignment that can be solved.

3️⃣ Don’t Make Assumptions

• Ask more questions. Seriously. Stop assuming people know what you mean or what’s expected of them. Make clarity a habit.

• Check for understanding. A simple, “Just to confirm, here’s what I heard—does that sound right?” can save hours of misalignment.

• Create space for directness. Your team should feel comfortable saying, “Hey, I need more context” or “Can you clarify that?” without feeling like they’ll look dumb. The strongest teams prioritize clarity over guessing.

4️⃣ Always Do Your Best

• Your best changes daily—and that’s okay. Some days, you’re on fire. Other days, you’re just trying to keep it together. What matters is that you show up and give what you can with what you have. And you encourage your team to do the same.

• Effort matters as much as results. If someone put in the work but didn’t quite nail it, acknowledge the effort and help them get better. That’s how you build a team that doesn’t fear failure.

• Make growth the goal. The best teams don’t aim for perfection—they aim for progress. Small, consistent improvements beat big, inconsistent wins every time.

Bringing It All Together

• Make these agreements part of your culture. Put them in your onboarding. Talk about them in team meetings. Hold yourself and others accountable.

• Use them to gut-check decisions. Before you make a big move, ask: Am I being clear? Am I making assumptions? Am I taking this personally? Am I showing up and doing my best? If you get four “yes” answers, you’re on the right track.

• Lead by example. If you live these principles, your team will follow. That’s how you build trust, alignment, and a business that runs like a well-oiled machine.

At the end of the day, The Four Agreements isn’t just a book—it’s a playbook for running a team that actually works. Implement this, and I promise, things will start clicking in a way that feels easy, aligned, and profitable.

Building Alignment = Building Profitability

When you integrate these four agreements into your leadership style and team culture, you’re not just building a business—you’re building a community. A community where people trust each other, take responsibility for their roles, and commit to growing together.

When alignment is strong, execution is seamless. And when execution is seamless, your business becomes more profitable. It’s that simple.

If you haven’t read The Four Agreements yet, I encourage you to dive in. The lessons are simple, but the impact they can have on your leadership and team alignment is profound.

What principles guide you in your leadership or business? I’d love to hear how you create alignment and growth in your team—leave a comment below!