The Chad & Cheese Podcast Team Intelligence w/ Jon Levy
Nov 18, 2025
Jon Levy, a behavioral scientist and New York Times bestselling author, joins to challenge traditional views on leadership. He reveals the pitfalls of the 'Super Chicken Problem' and the 'Too Much Talent Problem,' arguing that rewarding individual stars can undermine team performance. Levy also discusses how remote work has exacerbated the 'Airport Problem', leading to isolation and a loss of culture, and emphasizes the importance of diversity in skills over sheer talent. His insights can transform how teams collaborate and succeed together.
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Super Chicken Problem Explains Toxic Incentives
- Breeding for individual top performance creates destructive competition that harms the group.
- Reward group productivity and pro-social behavior to build durable, high-performing teams.
Design Rewards To Favor Teamwork
- Reward group outcomes and status for those who support teammates instead of only top individual metrics.
- Design incentives so people reproduce cooperative behaviors that help the whole team win.
Too Much Talent Harms Interdependent Teams
- Teams with too many similar top performers underperform when roles are interdependent.
- Hire complementary skills and measure hidden contributions, not just visible stats.
