The Three Norm Clusters of Elite Teams

Vanessa outlines three norm clusters: belonging, shared purpose, and reaching outside the team for information.

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Episode notes

If your team is smart, talented, and experienced – but still isn’t performing as they should – this episode is your wake-up call. Because the problem isn’t your people… it’s the norms driving how they interact.

Today, you’re going to learn how to build team emotional intelligence on demand — the kind that unlocks trust, psychological safety, and fast alignment. If you want to lead a top 1% team, this is the playbook.

In this must-listen episode, Oliver is joined by Dr. Vanessa Druskat, organizational psychologist, long-time collaborator of Daniel Goleman, and co-author of The Emotionally Intelligent Team – one of the most important leadership books of the year.

We unpack why focusing on individuals is no longer enough, how to embed emotional intelligence into your team’s daily habits, the 3 essential norms that separate average teams from extraordinary ones, and how to measure and improve your team’s EQ, starting now.

Vanessa offers a science-backed, deeply practical framework to create high-performing, human-centered teams – even in high-pressure, fast-changing environments.

⏰ CHAPTERS

00:00 - Introduction

01:33 - Meet Dr. Vanessa Druskat & The Power of Team Emotional Intelligence

04:25 - Why Individual EQ Isn’t Enough for Teams

07:20 - The Relationship Between IQ and EQ

10:09 - What Should Leaders Look for When Hiring?

13:09 - The Three Essential Team Norms

15:46 - Norm 1: Building Belonging & Trust

19:22 - Norm 2: Creating Shared Purpose & Direction

22:11 - Norm 3: Reaching Outside the Team

25:20 - Is Team EQ Catching On?

28:18 - How to Measure and Improve Team EQ