Steople > News & Articles > High Performance Teams

Why Some Teams Thrive While Others Drift

Imagine stepping onto a rowing boat with a team, but no one agrees on the destination. Some row left, some row right, and others stop altogether, unsure of where they’re supposed to go. Frustration builds, and progress slows to a crawl.

Now, picture a different team – one with a clear destination, strategy, and shared commitment. Every rower moves in unison, their strokes powerful and aligned. This is the difference that direction makes in a high-performing team.

Direction isn’t about micromanaging every move; it’s about ensuring everyone understands where they’re going, why it matters, and how their role contributes to the bigger picture. This is why Direction is a key pillar in the Steople High-Performance Teams Model™, helping teams move with clarity and confidence toward their goals.

The Research: Why Direction Matters in Team Performance

A lack of direction is one of the biggest roadblocks to team success. Studies consistently show that teams with a clear and compelling vision outperform those that operate in uncertainty:

  • Only 50% of employees clearly understand their company’s strategic goals (Gallup).
  • Teams that align around a shared vision are 21% more productive (MIT Sloan).
  • When employees see how their work contributes to broader objectives, engagement increases by 33% (Harvard Business Review).

Without a shared sense of direction, teams become reactive instead of proactive, wasting time on misalignment, competing priorities, and internal conflicts.

The Three Elements of Direction in High-Performing Teams

1️⃣ Purpose: The “Why” Behind the Work

A strong sense of purpose acts as a guiding star for teams. When people understand why their work matters, they are more motivated, engaged, and resilient in the face of challenges.

How to Strengthen It: Connect daily tasks to the bigger picture. Instead of saying, “We need to hit this sales target,” reframe it as “We’re helping businesses grow by providing solutions that make their work easier.”

Case Study: Steople were working with a healthcare team that struggled with burnout. Once they started linking their work back to the impact they had on patients, engagement and morale skyrocketed.

 

2️⃣ Clarity: Who Does What?

Even the best teams can fall apart if roles and responsibilities are unclear. Clarity doesn’t mean rigidity—it means that everyone knows what’s expected of them and how they collaborate with others.

How to Strengthen It: Regularly revisit roles, especially in fast-moving environments. Ask, “Does everyone understand their key priorities? Do they know how their role connects to the team’s goals?”

Case Study: A client in the tech industry faced constant project delays because responsibilities were assumed, not assigned. By mapping out key roles visually, their project timelines improved by 30% in just three months.

 

3️⃣ Communication: Aligning and Re-aligning

A clear direction isn’t set once – it needs continuous reinforcement. High-performing teams regularly check in, ensuring they stay aligned as priorities shift.

How to Strengthen It: Use structured communication rituals like weekly alignment meetings and quarterly strategy reviews to keep everyone on track.

Case Study: A global team Steople coached recently reduced cross-team misalignment by introducing a simple 10-minute daily stand-up. This one change cut down unnecessary meetings and increased productivity.

How the Steople High-Performance Teams Survey™ Helps

Many leaders believe their teams have direction—until they measure it. The Steople High-Performance Teams Survey™ provides data-driven insights into how well-aligned a team truly is. It helps organisations:

✔️ Identify gaps in strategic clarity ✔️ Measure how well employees understand and commit to team goals ✔️ Provide actionable recommendations to strengthen alignment

Direction isn’t just about setting goals; it’s about making sure everyone understands and embraces them.

Final Thought: Direction Creates Momentum

The best teams don’t just work hard—they work in the same direction. When purpose, clarity, and communication align, teams move faster, collaborate better, and achieve more.

So, here’s a challenge: Does your team know exactly where they’re going? If you asked every member, would they give the same answer?

Drop your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear how your team stays aligned!

P.S. Want to measure your team’s alignment? The Steople High-Performance Teams Survey™ gives you clear, actionable insights. Let’s chat about how it can help your organisation thrive!

How to Build a Culture of Trust That Fuels Performance

Why Trust Makes or Breaks a Team

Picture this. You’re in a meeting, and your leader asks for honest feedback on a new project. You pause. Should you say what you’re really thinking or just go along with the majority?
Now, imagine a different team – one where everyone speaks up, knowing their ideas will be heard and valued. Mistakes aren’t met with blame but with curiosity. People hold themselves accountable, not because they’re forced to, but because they respect each other.
That’s the power of trust. And it’s the difference between a team that thrives and one that struggles to get through the day.
Trust isn’t just a “nice-to-have.” It’s the foundation of high performance. Without it, even the most talented teams will fail to reach their full potential. This is why trust is one of the seven core factors in the Steople High-Performance Teams Model™, a research-backed framework designed to help organisations build, measure, and sustain top-performing teams.

The Science Behind Trust and High-Performing Teams

The Steople High-Performance Teams Model™ was developed through extensive research into the factors that drive exceptional team performance. Drawing from organisational psychology, leadership science, and real-world case studies, Steople identified seven critical elements that determine whether a team will thrive or struggle:
  • Trust
  • Direction
  • Clarity
  • Commitment
  • Interdependency
  • Balance
  • Communication
Steople’s research involved team assessments, leadership studies, and organisational effectiveness reviews, ensuring that each factor is rooted in evidence-based practice.
One of the most powerful tools developed from this research is the Steople High-Performance Teams Survey™, which measures these seven elements within an organisation. The survey provides objective, data-driven insights into where a team is excelling and where there are gaps that need attention.
And time and time again, the data proves that trust is the foundation of every high-performing team.

The Research is Clear: Trust Drives Performance

  1. Trust accelerates decision-making. A Harvard Business Review study found that high-trust teams make decisions 25% faster than low-trust teams. When trust is present, people don’t waste time second-guessing motives or covering their backs.
  2. Trust reduces stress and burnout. Neuroscientist Paul Zak’s research on workplace trust found that employees in high-trust organisations experience 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, and 50% higher productivity.
  3. Trust fuels innovation. Google’s Project Aristotle, a landmark study on team effectiveness, found that psychological safety—the ability to take risks without fear of embarrassment or punishment—is the #1 predictor of a high-performing team. Without trust, people hold back their best ideas.
  4. Trust keeps teams together. Research from Great Place to Work found that organisations with high-trust cultures have 50% lower turnover rates. People don’t leave workplaces—they leave environments where they don’t feel valued or safe.

Clearly, trust isn’t just about feeling good – it’s about delivering results. But how do you build it?

Three Levels of Trust Every Team Needs

1️⃣ Trust in Competence: “Can I rely on you to do your job?”
Trust starts with knowing that the people around you will deliver. It’s hard to collaborate when you’re constantly second-guessing whether a teammate will pull their weight.
I once worked with a team where deadlines were consistently missed. Frustration grew, and people stopped depending on each other. The turning point? They introduced weekly check-ins—a simple system to create accountability without micromanagement. Suddenly, trust started to rebuild because people knew they could count on each other.
 The research backs this up: A study published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior found that teams with clear expectations and accountability structures had 20% higher performance ratings than those without.
2️⃣ Trust in Intent: “Do you have my back?”
We’ve all been in workplaces where people hesitate before speaking up—afraid their words might be used against them. That’s a team running on low psychological safety.
Trust in intent means believing that your teammates aren’t out to undermine you. It’s about knowing that feedback is given to help, not to judge. And leaders play a huge role here—when they admit their own mistakes, they send a powerful message: it’s safe to be honest here.
I coached a leader who started sharing their own failures in team meetings. The result? People felt safe to take risks, and within months, the team became more open, more creative, and more willing to challenge the status quo.
 Research proves this works: Amy Edmondson, a Harvard Business School professor, found that teams with high psychological safety make more mistakes—but they learn from them faster, leading to higher overall performance.
3️⃣ Trust in Character: “Do your actions match your words?”
Trust isn’t just about competence or good intentions – it’s also about consistency. If a leader talks about work-life balance but sends emails at midnight, people stop believing in the message.
One company I worked with had a trust issue. Leaders promised flexibility, but employees felt pressure to always be online. When managers started leading by example—blocking out personal time in their calendars and actually unplugging—trust skyrocketed. People finally believed that flexibility was more than just a talking point.

How the Steople High-Performance Teams Survey™ Helps

Many leaders think their teams have trust, but the real question is: how do you measure it?
That’s where the Steople High-Performance Teams Survey™ comes in. This tool provides data-driven insights into trust levels, allowing leaders to identify gaps and take meaningful action. The survey helps organisations:
✔️ Identify strengths and weaknesses in team trust
✔️ Uncover areas where psychological safety is lacking
✔️ Provide clear, actionable recommendations for improving team performance
Trust isn’t an abstract concept—it’s measurable, actionable, and directly linked to performance.

Final Thought: Trust is a Game Changer

The most successful teams don’t just work well together—they trust each other completely. And when trust is high, everything else—communication, collaboration, performance – falls into place.
So, here’s a challenge: On a scale of 1-10, how much trust exists in your team right now? And more importantly, what’s one thing you can do this week to strengthen it?
Drop your thoughts in the comments!
Do you want to measure trust in your team? The Steople High-Performance Teams Survey™ gives you the data you need to drive real change. Let’s chat about how it can help your organisation thrive!

Why Leaders Must Double Down on Trust, Connection & Psychological Safety

The future of work is here. AI is transforming how we operate, automating tasks we once thought were irreplaceable, and shifting workplace dynamics at an unprecedented speed. But amidst all the technological innovation, one thing remains unchanged: leadership is still about people.

At our recent Steople event, Redefining Leadership in the Age of AI, Hayden Fricke (Managing Director of Steople), Jon Whittle (CEO of CSIRO’s AI business Data 61), and Professor Pat Dunlop (Professor of the Future of Work Institute at Curtain University) unpacked this paradox—how AI is advancing, yet the demand for human connection, trust, and emotional intelligence in leadership has never been greater.

“AI is already here, but the need for human leadership is greater than ever. Leaders must deliberately focus on building trust, fostering emotional intelligence, and creating psychologically safe workplaces.” – Hayden Fricke

So, how do leaders future-proof themselves and their teams? It starts with deliberate action – understanding what makes teams thrive and using the right insights to shape leadership behaviours.

 

The Leadership Skills That Matter More Than Ever

Leadership has always been about guiding teams toward a vision. But in the AI era, employees aren’t just looking for direction—they’re looking for leaders who create environments where they feel safe to innovate, speak up, and stay engaged.

There are a range of capabilities that leaders need to consistently demonstrate. These include empathy, adaptability and curiosity. Leaders need to be able to create strong human connections through being authentic and genuine. Sometimes part of this is also being prepared to let your guard down and show vulnerability. These human-centred competencies are easy to say but hard to do, particularly if they don’t come naturally. Often sharing your vulnerability seems like weakness but as Brene Brown says, “vulnerability is a measure of courage; it is the ability to show up and be seen; it is the source of hope, empathy, accountability and authenticity”.

Leaders need help to develop these types of capabilities so that they become a central part of the way they show up daily.

 

The “Invisible” Barrier to High-Performance Teams: Psychological Safety

Imagine this: A team is working on a major project, and a new AI-driven system has been introduced to streamline their workflow. One of the employees notices a flaw in the system—a miscalculation that could cause a significant problem down the line.

What happens next reveals everything about that team’s culture.

If psychological safety is high, that employee will speak up, trusting that their leader will listen without judgment.
If psychological safety is low, they’ll stay silent, worried about looking incompetent or facing backlash.

That’s the difference between innovation and stagnation.

At our event, Jon Whittle highlighted this tension: “So much of getting stuff done in an organization is built on trusted relationships. AI can enhance efficiency, but it can’t replace the human foundations of a strong workplace culture.”

The challenge with trust and psychological safety is that leaders often overestimate the level of trust in their teams. They assume people feel safe to speak up—until a mistake is made and they realise no one flagged it earlier. Leaders need help to become more aware of the level of trust and psychological safety in their teams so they can implement targeted strategies to build these qualities and create an environment where team members feel heard, valued and empowered.

Final Thoughts: The Future of Leadership is Human

AI will continue to change how we work, but it won’t change the fact that people are the heart of every organization.

Leaders who double down on trust, connection, and psychological safety will be the ones who adapt, engage, and thrive in the AI-powered future.

The question isn’t just how AI will shape leadership – it’s how leaders will shape AI-powered workplaces.

As Professor Pat Dunlop said, “The leaders who thrive in this era will be the ones who embrace AI as an enabler while prioritizing human connection. It’s not AI vs. human—it’s AI + human.”

 

If you are ready to build a more human-centred leadership culture through the growth if AI in our workplaces, talk to Steople about how we can help you.