Episode 169: 10 Leadership Behaviors That Set Great Teams Apart
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Jul 16, 2025
Discover the secrets behind extraordinary teams with insights from Zenger Folkman's latest research. Learn about ten game-changing behaviors like empowered decision-making and strategic alignment that set high performers apart. Understand how simple pulse-check questions can assess team health. Small changes can lead to significant impacts—practical strategies are shared to promote cooperation, celebrate achievements, and enhance overall team dynamics. Get ready to transform your leadership approach and drive your teams to success!
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insights INSIGHT
What Predicts Team Turnaround
Zenger Folkman studied 171 teams who received negative customer feedback to identify what made some improve and others stagnate.
Confidence in team success and willingness to go the extra mile were the two key outcome indicators separating top and bottom quartiles.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Reconnect Work To Strategy
Start every quarter with a goal-alignment huddle to reconnect work to business outcomes.
Have each team member write and share one sentence describing how their work contributes to top priorities.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Fix Cross-Functional Handoffs
Invite a partner from another department to a stand-up or host a lunch-and-learn to build empathy and reduce friction.
Map common cross-functional processes and identify where things get lost to improve handoffs.
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In today’s episode, we’re unpacking new research from Zenger Folkman that reveals what truly separates high-performing teams from the rest. After analyzing 171 teams—many of which were struggling with negative customer feedback—we identified 10 key behaviors that predict whether a team will turn things around or stay stuck. If you’re leading teams or responsible for developing them, this episode offers data-backed insights, pulse-check questions, and practical strategies you can use right away.
Key Points
Extraordinary teams don’t happen by accident. Zenger Folkman’s latest research shows that high-performing teams intentionally develop behaviors that build trust, clarity, and collaboration. These teams respond to challenges differently—and outperform others in both engagement and execution.
Ten specific behaviors separate top teams from the rest. From empowered decision-making to proactive problem-solving, the data reveals ten key differentiators. These include strategic alignment, cross-functional cooperation, and a culture of recognition—all backed by statistically significant findings.
Simple questions can reveal team health. Each of the ten behaviors can be assessed with a quick pulse-check question. Leaders can use these questions to gauge where their teams are thriving—and where they need support.
Small changes lead to big impact. The episode shares actionable strategies for each behavior—ranging from goal alignment huddles to decision-making guidelines—that HR leaders and team managers can implement immediately.
Team development is no longer optional—it’s a competitive advantage. While individual leadership development is critical, organizations that also invest in team-level development see greater returns. Zenger Folkman’s new product, The Extraordinary Team, helps teams assess, grow, and sustain high performance through a research-backed development experience.
Webinar
Zenger Folkman hosts an exclusive live webinar every month, where you can meet Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman and join in a conversation about their latest research in leadership development. Find out more information and register here.
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