The Science And Secrets Of High-Performing Teams

Ron Friedman’s new book, Superteams, is the best book about teams and team building that I have ever read and have reviewed on my blog. It’s all about what the best teams do differently.

 
It’s packed with counterintuitive insights, surprising science, and real-world lessons "from the most comprehensive study of elite groups ever conducted" reports Friedman. Read through it once and then keep it handy to refer to repeatedly. The 50-plus strategies for how a team does its best work are invaluable.
 
Friedman surveyed thousands of teams and pinpointed the precise habits that separate the best from the rest. He reports that “the results upend everything we think we know about teamwork. It turns out that the most successful teams aren't the ones that collaborate most, get along best, or put in the longest hours.”
 
What really sets them apart, according to Friedman, is the way they: 

• Manage their energy and attention.
• Bring out the best in one another.
• Keep improving over time. 

In addition, Friedman states that to have a Superteam it is essential to have:
 
A shared goal – Teamwork begins with a goal everyone cares about. “That sounds simple,” says Friedman, “but in many places, shared goals are surprisingly hard to identify.”
 
Role clarity – Where everyone knows what they’re responsible for, and what their teammates are handling. Where everyone knows who owns what and how the pieces fit together.
 
Interdependence – The belief that you need your teammates to succeed. The more you see your success as tied to your colleagues, the more committed you become to the team.         
 
And within a Superteam, the best teammates are those who are:
 
Knowledgeable – they spot problems early, share shortcuts, and often serve as informal coaches for the team.
 
Dependable – they are reliable and they deliver and that reliability creates momentum for the team.
 
Good Communicators – they keep other teammates in the loop, author emails everyone can understand and give feedback with clarity and tact.

As you read the book, you will learn: 

• A simple rule that instantly cuts meeting time in half.
• How the best teams make focus easier, not harder.
• The one question that makes team decisions up to 30% smarter.
• The only office perk that improves performance (spoiler: it's not coffee).
• How personal productivity hacks make teamwork harder.
• How to use downtime to boost results.
• Why feeling like the smartest person in the room is a red flag.
• Why top performers care more about disappointing their peers than their boss.
• How the best teams avoid burnout without working fewer hours.
• The science of truly restorative breaks, evenings, and vacations.
• How to build a team that keeps getting better (even when you're not in charge).
• Why viewing disagreements lead to better decisions. And how to disagree without getting personal.
• How to address tension proactively. 

Be sure to read the Action Items for Leaders section at the end of each book chapter. Also, take the three-minute Superteam Quiz via a QR code in the book to help you pinpoint the single change most likely to improve how your team works. The quiz helps you to: 

• See where your team’s biggest opportunity lies.
• Reduce guesswork about what to work on next.
• Focus your effort where it’s most likely to pay off. 

“Great teams don’t just collaborate. They make each other better. By challenging and supporting one another, they raise the bar and make excellence the norm. Superteams don’t just tap into talent, they multiply it,” says Friedman.

Ron Friedman, PhD

Today, Friedman shares these additional insights with us:

Question: What's the one question great leaders ask in meetings that most others don't?

Friedman: Most meetings revolve around sharing updates. Everyone takes a turn explaining what they've been working on and where things stand. Updates serve a purpose, but they often leave people wondering why they couldn't have been sent in an email. They rarely move a project forward.

The best leaders use meetings differently. Instead of asking what people accomplished, they ask, "What are you stuck on?" That one question transforms a status meeting into a collaborative problem-solving session, where teammates help one another overcome obstacles and make real progress.

It also normalizes challenge. It sends the message that struggling isn't a sign of weakness; it's a natural part of doing meaningful work. And if no one is stuck, that's not always a sign the team is thriving. It may be a sign that no one is pushing themselves hard enough.

Question: Most teams plateau. How do Superteams keep getting better over time?

Friedman: Most teams plateau once they find an approach that works. They stop experimenting, stop questioning their assumptions, and gradually fall behind.

Superteams take the opposite approach. Their leaders build continuous improvement into the way the team operates. They experiment even when things are going well. They model curiosity by asking thoughtful questions and admitting what they don't know. They actively seek feedback and make it safe for others to do the same. Over time, those behaviors become contagious. Instead of protecting yesterday's success, the entire team is constantly learning, adapting, and getting better.

Question: How do top teams use Artificial Intelligence (AI) that is different from other less successful teams?

Friedman: There's a lot of discussion about whether AI will replace jobs. I think the more interesting question is how it will change teamwork. 

Our research suggests AI is widening the gap between average teams and Superteams. The difference isn't simply that the best teams use AI more often. It's that they learn together. When someone discovers a better prompt or workflow, they share it. Their teammates build on it, improve it, and everyone gets better.

Average teams use AI to improve individual performance. Superteams use it to improve the entire team.

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Smart, game-changing, insightful, and incredibly practical, this book is your definitive resource for how to turn your team into a Superteam.
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Friedman, PhD, is an award-winning psychologist who helps leaders build high-performing teams.

 
He is the bestselling author of The Best Place to Work and Decoding Greatness, and the founder of Superteams, Inc., where he delivers keynotes, workshops, and executive advisory to senior leaders around the world.
 
Thank you to the book’s publisher for sending me an advance copy of the book.