Characteristics of High-Performing Teams

I’ve built hundreds of teams in life and business. Some small — and some big teams making $10mm+ decisions. Here are 9 principles I use to craft high-performing teams: 🧵 👇 * The Peacemaker Principle It’s tempting to create a team of all hard-chargers. Rookie mistake. High-performing teams often include a “people person." These personalities naturally defuse minor conflicts in the team before they get big. * The Clear Mission Principle Great teams need a North Star. Can the team make a difference? What purpose do they serve? Create an inspiring mission to perform at the highest level. The whole team should know their WHY. * Skin in the Game Principle Teams perform best when personally incentivized to succeed. This can be ownership, a bonus, or a promotion. Or non-monetary rewards like acclaim or recognition. Tie personal outcome to the team outcome -- and win more. * The Anchors Away Principle Those projects when you covered for weak teammates? Do not ask your stars to cover weaker contributors regularly. Best case, it slows them down. Worst case, the whole thing implodes. * The Benetton Principle Teams with a variety of backgrounds and cultures perform better. This isn’t just about DEI lip service. Studies show diverse teams produce more patents than average. It’s not just right – it’s good business. * The No Responsibility Without Authority Principle Responsibility = “you own this” Authority = “you have the power to enact change.” If you don’t give a team both, they will feel powerless. Or worse, like they're working on a pointless project. * The Hierarchy Principle Sure, it’d be nice not to pick a leader for your team. But business isn’t a commune, a potluck, or a campfire. You get the best results with a single person leading. And accountable for the team's performance. * The We Are Humans Principle Get the team out of the office. Encourage them to know each other personally. Have fun. Build trust. Be people — even at the office. Studies show the highest-performing teams bond over non-work topics. * The Swoop Principle Sometimes you need to get in there. Email wars? Tell them to pick up the phone. Stupid meetings? Do some coaching! Is good work happening? Compliment! Leaders must step in when needed.

The uncomfortable truths about high-performing teams that nobody talks about (and what to do about it). After two decades of coaching executive teams, I've discovered five counterintuitive truths about exceptional performance: 👉 High-performing teams have more conflict, not less. Teams engaging in intellectual conflict outperform peers by 40% in complex decisions. → Action: Schedule structured debate sessions where challenging ideas is explicitly encouraged. 👉 Top teams strategically exclude people. McKinsey & Company found that each member above nine decreased productivity by 7%. → Action: Create a core decision team while establishing transparent processes for broader input. 👉 The best teams often break company rules. MIT Sloan School of Management research shows 65% of top teams regularly deviate from standard procedures. → Action: Identify which processes truly add value versus those that add bureaucracy. 👉 Emotional intelligence can be overrated (but not overlooked). Teams with moderate EQ but high practical intelligence outperform by 23%. → Action: Balance empathy with pragmatic problem-solving in your team assessments. 👉 Effective teams experience productive dysfunction. 82% of top teams go through significant tension phases before breakthroughs. → Action: Recognize periods of dysfunction as potential catalysts rather than failures. In today's complex work environments, understanding these hidden truths is critical. Embracing these contradictions rather than fighting them positions you as a leader to build exceptional teams—even when the process looks messier than expected. Embrace the mess. Coaching can help; let's chat. Joshua Miller #executivecoaching #leadership #teamdevelopment

The most expensive problems in leadership don’t show up in your P&L. They show up in the room. In the past 12 months, what I’ve learned — and what this graphic nails — is that most executive dysfunction doesn’t come from lack of experience. It comes from team dynamics no one’s willing to talk about. - A leadership team that avoids conflict because they fear tension — and then ends up with decisions no one’s really committed to. - A new hire who’s brilliant on paper — but can’t be vulnerable enough to build real trust. - A global team that says they value accountability — but tolerates missed deadlines and quiet underperformance. These aren’t soft issues. They’re the cracks that derail transformation, delay launches, and quietly crush performance. What I’ve found when hiring senior leaders is this: ✔ Most companies evaluate results. ✔ Some companies look at skills. ❌ Few evaluate how leaders handle conflict, feedback, and trust. And that’s where the biggest risk (and opportunity) lies. When I hire for high-performance teams, I don’t just ask: → “Can this person do the job?” I ask: → “Will they build or break trust when things get hard?” → “Can they challenge others — and be challenged back?” → “Will they own results, or protect status?” The most successful teams I’ve seen — especially in consumer goods where cross-functional collaboration is essential — all share one trait: They do the hard, human work. They talk about what isn’t working. They hold each other accountable. They lead with transparency — not territory. So, if your team is scaling, hiring, or transforming this year… Ask yourself honestly: Which dysfunction are we quietly tolerating? Because trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results aren’t “soft skills.” They’re the architecture of every high-performing executive team. And you can’t build anything strong without the right foundation. #ExecutiveSearch #LeadershipHiring #FMCGLeadership #HighPerformanceTeams #OrganizationalHealth #TeamDynamics

90% of leaders think their teams are effective. Only 15% actually are. Where do you fall? If you've been struggling with team performance, I've got a framework that transformed my own leadership approach. The traditional way to build teams focuses on individual performance. We hire for skills, evaluate based on output, and reward personal achievement. But this approach misses something critical: true high-performance comes from how people work together, not just how skilled they are individually. In my experience leading multiple teams across different industries, I've found a simple but powerful approach: 1. Establish Clear Goals  Not just what needs to be done, but why it matters. When team members understand the purpose behind their work, motivation soars. 2. Foster Open Communication Create an environment where everyone feels safe to share ideas, concerns, and feedback. The best solutions often come from unexpected voices. 3. Emphasize Collaboration Set up systems that reward collective achievements over individual heroics. This shifts the focus from "me" to "we." 4. Celebrate Diversity Different perspectives lead to better decisions and more creative solutions. Actively seek out and value varying viewpoints. 5. Lead by Example Show the behaviors you want to see. If you want collaboration, collaborate. If you want open communication, communicate openly. High-performing teams don't happen by accident. They're built intentionally. What's one team-building practice that's worked well for you? ✍️ Your insights can make a difference! ♻️ Share this post if it speaks to you, and follow me for more.

Do you feel part of a real team? Or are there moments when you feel isolated, uncertain, and disconnected, even though you're surrounded by colleagues? In the early stages of my career, I had the simplistic view that bringing together a bunch of high achievers would naturally create an outstanding team. However, the reality was quite different. Instead of creating synergy, there was noticeable discord. The team didn't seem to gel; it was akin to cogs not aligning in a machine. Every top performer, exceptional in their own right, appeared to follow their own path, often pulling in different directions. The amount of energy and time lost to internal strife was significant, and the expected outcomes? They remained just that – expected. This experience was a clear lesson that the success of a team isn't merely based on individual talent; it's about harmony, alignment, and collaboration. With today’s workplaces being more diverse, widespread, digitized, and ever-changing, achieving this is certainly challenging. So, in my quest to understand the nuances of high-performing teams, I reached out to my friend Hari Haralambiev. As a coach of dev teams who care about people, Hari has worked with numerous tech organizations, guiding them to unlock their teams’ potential. Here are his top 5 tips for developing high performing teams: 1. Be Inclusive ↳Put a structure in place so that the most vocal people don’t suffocate the silent voices. Great teams make sure minority views are heard and taken into account. They make it safe for people to speak up. 2. Leverage Conflict ↳Disagreements should be encouraged and how you handle them is what makes your team poor or great. Great teams mine for conflict - they cherish disagreements. To handle disagreements properly make sure to separate discussion from decision. 3. Decision Making Process ↳Have a clear team decision-making method to resolve conflicts quickly. The most important decision a team should make is how to make decisions. Don’t look for 100% agreement. Look for 100% commitment. 4. Care and Connect ↳This is by far the most important tip. Teams who are oriented only on results are not high-performing. You need to create psychological safety and build trust between people. To do that - focus on actually knowing the other people and to make it safe to be vulnerable in front of others. Say these 4 phrases more often: ‘I don’t know’, ‘I made a mistake’, ‘I’m sorry’, ‘I need help’. 5. Reward experimentation and risk taking ↳No solution is 100% certain. People should feel safe to take risks and make mistakes. Reward smart failure. Over-communicate that it’s better to take action and take accountability than play it safe. Remember, 'team' isn't just a noun—it's a verb. It requires ongoing effort and commitment to work at it, refine it, and nurture it. Do give Hari a follow and join over 6K+ professionals who receive his leadership comics in his newsletter A Leader’s Tale.

Free snacks don’t drive accountability. Ping-pong tables don’t inspire ownership. Flexible Fridays won’t fix a toxic work environment. Culture isn’t built with perks—it’s built with leadership. If your company is bleeding top talent, struggling with engagement, or battling burnout, it’s not because you lack perks—it’s because your leadership is failing. The 3 Brutal Realities of a True High-Performance Culture: 1. It’s Built on Relentless Clarity—Not Assumptions Most leaders assume their team knows the mission, understands expectations, and aligns with priorities. They don’t. Ambiguity breeds inefficiency. ✔ Define success clearly. What does “great” actually look like? ✔ Set non-negotiables. What are the 3-5 behaviors that drive your culture? ✔ Over-communicate priorities. If you haven’t repeated it 100 times, they haven’t heard it once. Netflix doesn’t have endless policies—they have clear, high-trust, high-accountability expectations. It works. 2. It Demands Extreme Ownership—From the Top Down Weak leaders blame their team when things go wrong. Elite leaders own the culture, performance, and results. ❌ If accountability only exists at the lower levels, you don’t have a culture—you have a dictatorship. ❌ If your leaders aren’t modeling the behavior they demand, your culture is fake. Fix it: ✔ Zero tolerance for excuses. If results aren’t there, leaders take the first look in the mirror. ✔ Accountability at every level. No sacred cows, no untouchable departments, no “that’s just how they are.” ✔ Psychological safety & radical candor. People need to know they can speak up Amazon’s “Disagree & Commit” culture forces leadership alignment—you can challenge decisions, but once the call is made, everyone owns it. 3. It Balances Performance with Sustainability Most companies burn people out because they mistake intensity for impact. ❌ Long hours ≠ high performance. ❌ More meetings ≠ better collaboration. ❌ Hustle culture ≠ sustained excellence. ✔ Prioritize energy management, not just time management. Burned-out employees make bad decisions. ✔ Train leaders on emotional intelligence & workload distribution. Bad leadership is the #1 cause of burnout. ✔ Reward smart execution, not just effort. If your culture glorifies “grinding” but not results, you’ve already lost. Apple’s leadership philosophy focuses on deep work, few distractions, and eliminating unnecessary meetings—so employees can focus on impact, not busyness. A real high-performance culture is built on: ✔ Relentless clarity. ✔ Extreme ownership. ✔ Performance sustainability. If you want better results, start by building better leaders. 📩 If your leadership team is serious about creating a culture that drives high performance without burnout, let’s talk. #Leadership #HighPerformanceCulture #ExecutiveCoaching #Accountability #Culture #LeadershipDevelopment

Motivation sparks the fire. Accountability keeps it burning. We’re obsessed with motivation, aren’t we? Rallying the team. Giving that big speech. Throwing out buzzwords like passion and drive. Blah blah blah. But motivation is a short-term fix. It’s like a sugar rush. Great in the moment, but it crashes just as fast. Real, sustainable performance? It doesn’t come from being inspired once a quarter. It comes from something deeper—something far less glamorous. I’ve lead and coached enough teams and leaders to see it firsthand: the best performers aren’t riding a wave of inspiration every day. They’re fueled by clarity, consistency, and ownership. They don’t need a pep talk—they need systems and support. So, What Drives Real Performance? Here’s what actually gets people to show up and deliver, day after day: 📌Clarity Over Hype ↳ People need to know exactly what they’re working toward and how their work fits into the bigger picture. Ambiguity kills momentum faster than a lack of motivation. 📌Autonomy Over Pep Talks ↳ No one thrives under micromanagement. Give people ownership of their work, and they’ll take pride in the results. 📌Consistency Over Passion ↳ Performance is built on habits, not heroic bursts of effort. The systems you create are far more powerful than the speeches you give. 📌Accountability Over Praise ↳ Encourage accountability—not to criticize, but to build trust and commitment. People rise to the occasion when they know their contribution matters. 📌Support Over Pressure ↳ A burned-out team isn’t a high-performing team. Invest in your people’s growth, well-being, and resources, and they’ll invest in the results. The truth is, anyone can inspire for a moment, but leaders who drive sustainable results know it’s not about chasing motivation. It’s about creating an environment where performance becomes second nature. So here’s the challenge: this week, instead of trying to inspire, focus on building clarity, consistency, and systems. It’s not flashy, but it works. P.S. What’s one thing you’ll change in your leadership approach starting today? Let me know—I’d love to hear it. ♻️ If you find this insightful, share with someone who needs this today.

Any manager can have a high-performing team. Pick one and take action today (tips below): 1. Set a Clear Mission Average teams execute tasks. High-performing teams drive outcomes. Your team needs to know exactly: • Why their work matters • How it impacts the company • What winning looks like The mission isn't a statement. It's their North Star for daily decisions. 2. Hire Aligned Talent High performers want to work with high performers. Stop compromising on: • Work ethic • Learning appetite • Team-first mentality One mediocre hire can destroy your culture. One fantastic hire can elevate everyone. 3. Care for Your Team High performance requires high trust. Get serious about: • Understanding their personal goals • Supporting their life challenges • Being there when it matters The best performers choose teams that care. Show them that's you. 4. Give Real Support High performers need rocket fuel, not red tape. Invest in: • Spaces that raise their energy • Tools that multiply their impact • Resources that accelerate results Remove one major obstacle weekly. Watch their productivity soar. 5. Respect Autonomy High performers need freedom to excel. Start trusting them to: • Design their approach • Make key decisions • Own their outcomes Micromanagement suffocates excellence. Give them space to innovate. 6. Reward Generously High performers know their worth. Get aggressive with: • Above-market compensation • Accelerated growth tracks • Meaningful recognition Don't wait for annual reviews. Reward excellence in real-time. 7. Develop Constantly High performers crave mastery. Create opportunities for: • Skill growth • Stretch assignments • Leadership development Treat learning like a priority. Not an after-party. 8. Eliminate Problems High performers hate waste. Ruthlessly target: • Broken processes • Unnecessary meetings • System inefficiencies Every barrier you remove Multiplies their impact. The difference between good and great teams? Great teams get better every day. Pick one area. Take action today. Watch your team transform. Helpful?  ♻️ Repost to help others.  💡 Follow Dave Kline for more.

High-performing teams don’t happen by accident. They happen in SYNC™ — through rhythm, alignment, and courageous leadership. Early in my career, I thought high performance came from talent, systems, and vision. Then I led teams across borders, cultures, and stages of growth. And I realized: 📌 Sustained performance lives in rhythm, not reaction. Here are 10 overlooked practices that drive high-performing teams using The S.Y.N.C. Method™ 👇 (You’ll want to save these.) 1️⃣ Preferred Discomfort Growth doesn’t wait for comfort. 🟣 SYNC™ It: Ask, “What challenge would stretch us and grow us this quarter?” 2️⃣ Ownership Over Obedience Aligned teams don’t wait for permission, they co-create. 🟣 SYNC™ It: Assign roles by vision, not just title. 3️⃣ Radical Transparency Teams can’t harmonize if the truth is off key. 🟣 SYNC™ It: Host monthly Rhythm Retros. What’s working? What’s missing? 4️⃣ Psychological Safety If your team fears being wrong, you’ll never get what’s right. 🟣 SYNC™ It: Share your own mistake before inviting feedback from others. 5️⃣ Distributed Intelligence Great leaders don’t lead alone, they listen. 🟣 SYNC™ It: Rotate decision ownership. Let insight rise from everywhere. 6️⃣ Purpose-Led Communication Task without meaning leads to burnout. 🟣 SYNC™ It: Start meetings with, “Who are we serving by doing this?” 7️⃣ Healthy Dissonance Alignment isn’t sameness, it’s coordinated difference. 🟣 SYNC™ It: Ask, “What do we need to unlearn before we decide?” 8️⃣ Energy Management > Time Management Burnout doesn’t scale. Rhythm does. 🟣 SYNC™ It: After every sprint, ask: “What drained us? What fueled us?” 9️⃣ Micro-Alignment Tiny tune-ups prevent big breakdowns. 🟣 SYNC™ It: Use 15-minute huddles, async check-ins, or weekly pulse reviews. 🔟 Values in Action Culture lives in behavior, not in posters. 🟣 SYNC™ It: Spotlight one value each week and celebrate how it showed up. 🎯 The most effective teams don’t just perform. They sync. To each other. To purpose. To growth. ✨ Want to experience how this applies to your organization? Request a complimentary Clarity Session (link in comments). 🔁 Repost if this rhythm resonates. Inspire | Empower | Thrive™ #SYNCLeadership #TheSYNCMethod #HighPerformanceTeams #MutualProsperity #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipAgility #CulturalIntelligence #TeamAlignment #LeadershipDevelopment

6 Traits of High-Performing Teams: (hint: it’s not about working harder) Great teams don’t just get along — they get results. But behind every high-performing team isn’t just talent… It’s trust, clarity, and collaboration. Here are 6 traits that set elite teams apart: (+ 3 bonus traits in the comments 👇) 1. 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 → Team members feel safe to speak up without fear. → It boosts creativity and prevents groupthink. 𝗙𝗶𝘅: Leaders must reward honesty — not just agreement. 2. 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 & 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 → Ambiguity leads to conflict or duplication. → Clarity creates focus, ownership, and results. 𝗙𝗶𝘅: Revisit goals and role expectations regularly. 3. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 & 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 → Mutual respect fuels collaboration — not competition. → Without it, even small issues snowball. 𝗙𝗶𝘅: Build connection beyond work. Celebrate wins, big and small. 4. 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀 → Silence breeds disengagement. → High-performing teams share feedback early and often. 𝗙𝗶𝘅: Normalize feedback in both directions. 5. 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆 → Markets shift. Goals change. → Strong teams adjust quickly and pivot as needed. 𝗙𝗶𝘅: Encourage learning and experimentation over perfection. 6. 𝗔 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 → Teams need more than a to-do list — they need why. → Purpose unites and motivates. 𝗙𝗶𝘅: Regularly connect tasks to mission and meaning. You don’t build high-performing teams with perks and ping-pong tables. You build them with trust, clarity, and shared purpose. What else would you add? Let me know in the comments below 👇 --- ♻️ Find this helpful? Repost for your network. ➕ Follow Dr Alexander Young for daily insights on productivity, leadership, and AI.