What Makes a Team Great

Most team frameworks are either too abstract to use or so detailed they collapse under their own weight.

After 35 years working with teams—military and business—I wanted something simpler. Not a new theory. Just a way to organize what I've seen actually work.

I read a few books, looked at some solid research, thought about teams I've been part of that worked and ones that didn't. After several rounds, I landed on three pillars.

I'm not saying this is the definitive model. But I'm fairly confident it's not wrong either. Others have probably said similar things.

Here's what I think matters:

Purpose

Why does the team exist beyond making shareholders richer? How does the work matter to people or the planet?

Most teams skip this question or answer it with corporate language that means nothing. That's a mistake. People do better work when they know why it matters.

Trust

Not the "I trust you won't steal my lunch" kind. The kind where you can admit you don't know something. Where you believe the other person has good intentions, even when they screw up.

Psychologists call it psychological safety. I just call it trust that goes deeper than politeness.

Competence

This one seems obvious—skills and knowledge. But it's not just about the product or technology.

It's also how the team works together: processes, meetings, how people communicate. A team full of experts who can't run a useful meeting isn't competent. They're just individually skilled.

Three things. Purpose, trust, competence.

None of them are easy. But at least the list is short.