I’ve had the privilege of leading and working alongside some truly exceptional teams. Teams where people genuinely show up for each other, challenge one another with respect, and take pride in the outcomes we create together.

Honestly, many of the people who’ve reported to me over the years have been rockstars. Not only did these teams consistently outperform industry peers, but they also exemplified humility, drive, and a collaborative, mission-focused mindset.

However, I’d be lying if I said that’s been the case in every team setting I’ve found myself in.

Whenever I stepped outside of my direct organization, whether it was into cross- functional teams, external alliances, or sister organizations…things weren’t the same. The dynamics felt off. Suddenly it wasn’t about the work; it was about politics. About positioning. About who could talk the most, posture the best, or cozy up to the highest-ranking person in the room.

Frankly? It was annoying.

That’s why this article from Harvard Business Review — “5 Things High- Performing Teams Do Differently” — really hit home for me. It articulates what I’ve long felt but hadn’t seen framed so clearly.

Here’s what stood out about High Performing Teams:

1.  They’re not just smart, they’re socially sensitive.

High-performing teams read the room. They listen. They’re attuned to how others are feeling, not just what they’re saying. That doesn’t mean they avoid conflict, it means they handle it productively. In the toxic team environments I’ve experienced, that sensitivity is usually absent. People dominate rather than dialogue. They speak to be heard, not to understand.

2.  They balance psychological safety with accountability.

This one resonates deeply. The best teams I’ve led knew they were safe to speak up, disagree, or ask for help but they also knew the bar was high. We expected results. We just didn’t confuse fear with performance. That balance is rare, and when it’s missing, teams default to either toxicity or complacency.

3.  They’re obsessed with outcomes, not optics.

Let’s be honest: some teams are more concerned with looking good than doing good. That’s the difference between teams that are aligned and teams that are political. In the high-performing teams I’ve been part of, success wasn’t about airtime in meetings, it was about moving the ball forward, together.

4.  They prioritize learning over ego.

This is where it gets personal. I’ve learned that I’d rather work with someone humble and hungry than someone brilliant and ego-driven. The best teams I’ve worked with had a learning mindset. They asked questions. They shared failures. They weren’t afraid to say, “I don’t know.” That curiosity built trust and results followed. I have deep respect for genuine people and have no tolerance for those who take themselves too seriously.

5.  They actively shape culture, they don’t just inherit it.

Culture isn’t handed down. It’s built every day by the way we show up. Great teams don’t wait for leadership to define the culture. They embody it. They reinforce it. And when something feels off, they call it out — respectfully but directly.

So What’s the Takeaway?

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by team dynamics that feel more performative than productive, you’re not alone. But there is another way. I’ve seen what it looks like when teams are values-aligned, ego-checked, and mission-driven. It’s not magic.

It’s intentional. And it’s absolutely worth building and protecting. As we say around Advanced Resources, when something is special, we want to make it bulletproof to avoid every losing it!

When the team clicks, politics disappear. And the work becomes something greater than the sum of its parts.