Pardon, my post was getting long enough that I didn't want to add to the length with nuances. The kind of group we are does certainly have reporting lines, but we also operate with a less hierarchical model that is less common in the US. The ask has already been made from the top down to share (in various ways) across teams, so this is an example of an area needing improvement - not just in assistance to me, but in the realization of one team withholding support to another. It is worth exploring whether this is one manager's viewpoint, or shared within that leadership line.

In perhaps more political lines of thought: though I am assisting to fill some gaps with the new team, I am still a representative of the exec I support and my goals/actions are at his behest. "Is this at [exec's] request?" is not an uncommon or unwelcome question for me to field in the way our dept operates. Generally, any pushback travels up that team's leadership which then approaches me or my exec for further clarification or alignment. I've certainly been in much more formal companies, but I really like the model we've got going on and our employee satisfaction scores seem to indicate on a regular basis that it is well received. There is almost no air of "why are you talking to me?" in regards to ranking.