Two Things Every High Performing Team Has in Common

David Burkus · Intermediate ·📄 Research Papers Explained ·1mo ago
Skills: PM Basics80%

Key Takeaways

Characteristics of high performing teams

Full Transcript

And it really comes down to two fundamental elements. Two elements of their culture, two habits, two norms of behavior that these high-performing teams share. They have a strong sense of role clarity. And they have an even stronger sense of team-wide empathy. Clarity and empathy. Clarity here, everybody knows what's expected of them. They know what to expect from each other. They're clear on their roles and responsibilities. We know each other's knowledge, skills, and abilities. We expect everybody to deliver what they're supposed to deliver on time. And empathy is a bit more personal. I don't mean here, by the way, I don't mean like deep emotional empathy. I don't mean like I can feel your pain. I mean more like I can predict your behavior. I understand your personality. I appreciate where it differs from mine. I know your work preferences. I know how you'd prefer to tackle every tactic, and as a result, I can collaborate with you better because I can put my language into the way you'll receive it best. That's what I mean when I say empathy.

Original Description

High performing teams aren't built on talent alone — they're built on two habits: role clarity and teamwide empathy. Clarity means everyone knows what's expected of them and each other. Empathy here isn't emotional — it means you can predict how your teammates work, think, and communicate. Together, those two things unlock collaboration that most teams never reach. Follow for more on leadership and team performance. // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus
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