How High-Performing Teams Harness Differences to Drive Success
Why Great Teams Aren’t Made of the Same Type of People
Ever been part of a team where everyone thinks the same way? Decisions come quickly, but innovation stalls. On the flip side, teams filled with conflicting perspectives can feel chaotic – but when harnessed correctly, they become powerhouses of creativity and performance.
That’s where balance comes in. In the Steople High-Performance Teams Model™, Balance refers to a team’s ability to integrate different thinking styles, personality traits, skillsets, and experiences in a way that drives performance – not friction.
Diversity alone isn’t enough. It’s what you do with that diversity that counts.
The Research: Diversity Drives Performance
Balanced teams – those that bring together a mix of perspectives and know how to use them—outperform homogeneous teams in measurable ways:
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Diverse teams are 87% better at making decisions (Cloverpop).
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Companies in the top quartile for diversity are 35% more likely to outperform their industry peers (McKinsey).
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Inclusive teams are over 50% more productive when diversity is not just present, but valued and applied (Harvard Business Review).
But this only happens when teams move beyond surface-level diversity and start actively leveraging the range of strengths in the room.
What Balance Looks Like in High-Performing Teams
1️⃣ Cognitive Diversity: Different Ways of Thinking, One Shared Goal
Every team has a mix of thinkers – some big-picture, others detail-focused. Some love structure; others thrive in ambiguity. When respected and integrated, these differences prevent blind spots and improve decision-making.
How to Strengthen It: Use team profiling tools to map different thinking styles and facilitate conversations around how to best collaborate across preferences.
Case Study: A leadership team Steople worked with had a dominant “blue-sky” mindset – great at vision, weak on execution. By introducing an operational thinker into strategy sessions, they reduced implementation lag by 40%.
2️⃣ Personality and Working Styles: Flex, Don’t Force
Not everyone is outgoing. Not everyone loves a whiteboard session. Balanced teams create space for all working styles – from the reflective processor to the enthusiastic brainstormer.
How to Strengthen It: Establish team norms that respect both introversion and extroversion. Create meeting formats that allow input in multiple ways—speaking, writing, small group sharing.
Case Study: A project team introduced asynchronous brainstorming before meetings, allowing quieter team members to contribute. Idea quality and inclusivity dramatically improved.
3️⃣ Skills and Experience Mix: Build Range into the Team’s DNA
Balance also means assembling teams with a wide range of technical expertise, life experience, and industry knowledge. This breadth strengthens problem-solving, learning, and adaptability.
How to Strengthen It: During team formation, consider not just job roles but what unique strengths each member brings. Revisit this regularly as roles evolve.
Case Study: A cross-functional team facing a stalled product launch added a junior developer with fresh UX experience. Their insight shifted the approach – and helped turn the launch into a success story.
How the Steople High-Performance Teams Survey™ Helps
Balance can be tricky to assess without a structured lens. The Steople High-Performance Teams Survey™ helps teams:
✔️ Understand the current mix of strengths, thinking styles, and traits
✔️ Identify imbalances that could be holding performance back
✔️ Uncover untapped potential and build greater psychological inclusion
When teams see their diversity as an advantage – and have the tools to harness it – they move from polite cooperation to true collaboration.
Final Thought: Balance is a Competitive Edge
High-performing teams don’t aim for sameness, they aim for synergy. By embracing and activating their diverse strengths, they become more creative, more resilient, and more effective.
So here’s something to consider: What kinds of diversity exist within your team and are you truly using them to your advantage?
Curious how balanced your team really is? The Steople High-Performance Teams Survey™ provides powerful insights and a practical roadmap. Let’s chat!
Emma had always been known as a strong, capable leader. She thrived in fast-paced environments and had a reputation for delivering results. Emma had recently taken on a promotion in a different organisation. With her new team, she sat in leadership meetings, wanting to challenge decisions she knew weren’t right, but the room felt tense. Speaking up wasn’t encouraged in this company.
Meanwhile, across the office, Ryan, a junior employee, was struggling under the weight of unrealistic workloads and poor job design. He was drowning in expectations but didn’t feel safe asking for help. His manager often dismissed concerns with, “Everyone is busy. You just need to push through.”
Both Emma and Ryan were experiencing workplace risks, but in different ways. Emma was navigating a lack of psychological safety; a workplace culture where employees feel unable to share ideas or voice concerns. Ryan, on the other hand, was battling psychosocial safety risks; hazards like excessive job demands, poor leadership support, and poor work design, all of which have a negative impact on mental health.
The bottom line is that neither felt safe at work.
Understanding Psychosocial vs. Psychological Safety
In today’s workplace, organisations are beginning to understand that safety isn’t just about physical hazards. But many still fail to differentiate between psychosocial safety and psychological safety, two distinct yet interconnected workplace elements.
Psychosocial Safety = Protecting employees from physical and psychological harm
It’s about reducing or eliminating workplace hazards that negatively impact employee mental health and wellbeing. These risks stem from workload, leadership behaviours, work structures, and culture.
In Australia and New Zealand, psychosocial safety is now a legal requirement, meaning employers must take proactive steps to identify and mitigate these risks.
Examples of psychosocial hazards include:
- High job demands – Employees are overworked and under-supported.
- Lack of role clarity – Confusing or conflicting responsibilities create frustration.
- Workplace bullying or incivility – A toxic culture causes psychological distress.
- Poor organisational change management – Rapid, unexplained changes create uncertainty and fear.
- Lack of leadership support – Employees feel isolated and undervalued.
Ignoring these risks can lead to burnout, high turnover, and even legal repercussions. Compliance alone isn’t enough. Removing risks doesn’t automatically create a thriving workplace.
Psychological Safety: Building a Culture of Trust and Innovation
If psychosocial safety is about preventing harm, psychological safety is about enabling growth. Coined by Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, psychological safety is about creating environments where employees feel safe to contribute, ask questions, and take risks without fear of embarrassment or punishment.
A psychologically safe workplace is one where employees feel comfortable:
✔ Sharing ideas, even if they challenge leadership
✔ Admitting mistakes and learning from them
✔ Asking for help when overwhelmed
✔ Voicing concerns about workplace issues
Google’s research on high-performing teams found that psychological safety was the single most important factor for team success. Without it, employees withhold ideas, avoid difficult conversations, and disengage from their work. Other research as whon that organisations whose employees report high levels of psychological safety also have lower levels of reported psychosocial hazards.
A company might have policies in place to protect employees from harm (psychosocial safety), but if employees still fear speaking up (lack of psychological safety), problems persist.
Why Organisations Need Both
Many businesses focus on one area while neglecting the other leading to incomplete workplace strategies.
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A business may invest in psychosocial safety, implementing policies to reduce burnout and manage workload risks. But if employees still fear speaking up about their concerns, the problems remain hidden.
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A company may foster psychological safety, encouraging open discussions and innovation. But if workplace structures create unmanageable stress, employees will continue to suffer.
To build a truly healthy and high-performing workplace, businesses must integrate both psychosocial and psychological safety by:
✔ Eliminating workplace risks that cause psychological harm (psychosocial safety)
✔ Fostering a culture where employees feel safe to contribute and grow (psychological safety)
When these two elements work together, workplaces see higher engagement, stronger leadership, and a culture of trust and innovation.
How Steople Helps Businesses Drive Real Change
At Steople, we take a holistic approach to workplace well-being, helping businesses embed psychosocial and psychological safety into culture, leadership, and operations.
Our four-step process helps organisations:
1️⃣ Identify and assess workplace psychosocial risks – Recognising hazards before they lead to burnout or disengagement.
2️⃣ Evaluate leadership and team dynamics – Ensuring that psychological safety is embedded into workplace culture.
3️⃣ Develop tailored interventions – Designing targeted strategies that address both risk factors and workplace challenges.
4️⃣ Implement and monitor progress – Supporting leaders and teams in driving long-term workplace improvements.
The result? Not just a safer workplace, but one that retains top talent, fosters collaboration, and drives sustainable success.
Are You Addressing Both Forms of Workplace Safety?
Workplace safety isn’t just about compliance—it’s about creating an environment where employees feel safe, valued, and empowered.
A workplace without psychosocial safety is stressful.
A workplace without psychological safety is stagnant.
A workplace with both is unstoppable.
If your organisation is focusing on one but not the other, now is the time to take a proactive approach.
Let’s start the conversation.
In Episode 5 of the Leadership and Wellbeing podcast, Hayden Fricke was thrilled to be joined by Dr. Liz Walker, CEO of RSPCA Victoria. With over eight years of experience leading one of Australia’s most recognisable animal welfare charities, Liz shared her journey of balancing high-performance leadership with personal wellbeing. Her insights are a testament to the power of self-awareness, gratitude, and the importance of building a strong support network.
The Challenges of Leadership and Life
Liz’s story is one of resilience and adaptability. As a leader, she has navigated personal and professional challenges, including the breakdown of her marriage while raising four children and managing the demands of her role as CEO. Her vulnerability in sharing these experiences highlights the importance of letting go of perfection and setting realistic expectations.
Liz’s approach aligns with key concepts in cognitive psychology, which demonstrate how our thoughts and beliefs influence our emotions. By changing unhelpful thoughts, we can improve our emotional wellbeing. For Liz, this meant learning to accept that “good enough” is often sufficient and prioritising what truly matters.
Building a Support Network
One of Liz’s strategies for maintaining balance is cultivating a strong support network. Research consistently shows that meaningful relationships are crucial for long-term happiness and success. Liz’s deliberate effort to build and nurture a circle of trusted friends has been instrumental in her ability to thrive both personally and professionally.
The Power of Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is a cornerstone of effective leadership and personal growth. Liz practices regular self-reflection, asking herself critical questions to gain clarity and perspective. This aligns with the timeless wisdom of Socrates, who famously said, “Know thyself.” Building self-awareness is a lifelong journey, and Liz’s commitment to this practice has enabled her to foster a healthy and supportive work environment.
Creating a High-Performance Culture
As a leader, Liz focuses on empowering her team to take ownership of their work. By delegating responsibilities and fostering accountability, she has cultivated a cohesive and resilient team capable of solving problems independently. This approach is supported by leadership frameworks such as Heifitz and Laurie’s Adaptive Leadership model, which emphasises creating problem solvers rather than solving problems for others. Research shows that empowering leadership styles not only enhance team performance but also improve overall wellbeing.
Practicing Gratitude
Gratitude plays a central role in Liz’s leadership philosophy. By mindfully appreciating small moments of joy, she maintains a positive outlook and supports her own wellbeing. This practice serves as a reminder that even amidst the demands of leadership, it is possible to find balance and fulfilment.
Key Takeaways for Leaders
- Let Go of Perfection: Accept that “good enough” can often be the best approach in balancing leadership and personal life.
- Cultivate Strong Relationships: Build a trusted support network to navigate challenges with resilience.
- Foster Self-Awareness: Regular reflection can help clarify priorities and strengthen leadership capabilities.
- Empower Your Team: Delegate effectively to build accountability and resilience within your organisation.
- Practice Gratitude: Focus on small joys to maintain a positive mindset and overall wellbeing.
Why This Matters
Whether you’re leading a boardroom, driving organisational culture, or fostering psychological safety, Liz’s insights are universally applicable. Balancing the demands of leadership with personal wellbeing is essential for sustainable success.
Take the Next Step
Liz Walker’s journey serves as an inspiring example for leaders at all levels. Consider how her strategies can be applied to your own leadership approach. For more insights, tune in to Episode 5 of the Leadership and Wellbeing podcast and discover how to find balance in your life and work.
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