How do we build remarkable teams, the kind that are more than the sum of their parts? Daniel Coyle answers that question in his latest book, The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups.

After talking to some of the greatest teams, such as the Navy Seals, IDEO, the San Antonio Spurs, and Pixar, Dan found a replicable pattern of three behaviors shared by these dynamic cultures. They each actively work to (1) Build Safety, (2) Share Vulnerability and (3) Establish Purpose. Dan shares how our teams can do this, too.

Dan is also the author of The Talent Code, The Little Book of Talent, The Secret Race, and Hardball: A Season in the Projects. In this interview we discuss:

Why certain groups add up to way more than the sum of their parts

What kindergartners can teach us about group performance

How status management undermines group performance

How culture is something we do, not something we are

Why culture is about moving together toward a common goal

The three key skills of group performance - vulnerability, safety, and purpose

How bad apples chip away at psychological safety and derail groups

Why we need to be intolerant of brilliant jerks

The outsized impact of warmth as a counter to negativity

Key indicators of high-performing groups, like rapid speech, light physical touch, laughter, and high energy, which indicated safety and connection

The incredible value of collective intelligence in groups as they share information, problem solve, and connect the dots

Why belonging cues are so powerful for group performance

How great coaches, like Gregg Popovich, exude curiosity and care for their teams

The role emotional control can play in supporting team members

How Navy Seals use the vulnerability loop to amplify team safety and boost performance

How an after-action review - a discussion of what went right, what went wrong, and what will happen next time -- helps teams improve performance

The value of warm candor - telling a hard truth but emphasizing connection - over brutal honesty

Why cheesy catch phrases can be stronger indicators of group performance than we might think

Why we should focus on the first five seconds when we interact with someone for the first time, especially when it comes to our energy level, eye contact, facial expressions, and engagement

How asking our team members about one thing we should keep on doing and one thing we should stop doing can help us get better at what we do

Episode Links

Navy Seals

IDEO

San Antonio Spurs

Gregg Popovich

Pixar

Peter Skillman

Alexander Pentland

Sociometer

Collective intelligence

The Captain Class by Sam Walker

Draper Kauffman

Gramercy Tavern

Danny Meyer

Laszlo Bock

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and review it on iTunes - your ratings make all the difference. For automatic delivery of new episodes, be sure to subscribe. As always, thanks for listening!