David Edelman on Strengthening Teams by Breaking Down Silos

What I’ve Learned

David Edelman has led digital transformation in some of the world’s largest organizations. One of his most impactful lessons learned was when he realized that nearly every function claimed ownership of the customer — but only to protect their turf.

“Transformation fails when silos protect themselves. Everyone wants credit, but nobody wants disruption.”

The breakthrough was clear: the only way to move forward was to make the customer the shared center of gravity, so teams could unite around impact instead of defending boundaries.

How I’ve Sharpened

David built a playbook that strengthens teams by reorienting them around customers instead of silos:

• Map the customer journey. By showing teams the full end-to-end experience, he revealed where handoffs broke down. “When you show people what the customer actually experiences, the silos become visible.”
• Create cross-functional squads. He pulled people from different functions to solve problems together, giving them joint accountability.
• Redefine success. He replaced siloed KPIs with shared metrics like NPS and lifetime value that demanded collaboration.
• Celebrate collective wins. He made sure progress was attributed to the team, not the function, reinforcing unity.

Why It Matters

Strengthening a team means more than building within a function — it’s about creating one team across silos. David’s lesson: when leaders put the customer at the center, they dissolve walls, accelerate collaboration, and strengthen the organization as a whole.

“When you put the customer in the middle, the debates stop being about turf. They start being about impact.”

About David Edelman

David Edelman is a board member, advisor, and former Chief Marketing Officer of Aetna (CVS Health). Recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on digital transformation, he is known for strengthening teams by aligning them around customers, breaking down silos, and driving meaningful change.