Best Team Ever: The Surprising Science of High-Performing Teams

by David Burkus

Talent doesn’t make the team—the team makes the talent. Why are some teams more motivated, innovative, and successful than others? Why do some groups of talented people fall short against lesser teams? And how do you go about building a high-performing team?



Dr. David Burkus understands that to build the best team, you must first shape the habits and practices that bring out the best in each member. Best Team Ever reveals what some of the world’s most effective teams do, and shows you how you can do the same.



Banish the frustration of having a team of talented people who can’t perform optimally. Discover how to develop a clear, concise understanding of how your team’s culture affects its performance. Follow this simple, practical blueprint to cultivate a Best Team Ever environment and set your team on a path to success.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Business, Management

198 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 30, 2023

About the author

One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever.

He is the bestselling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy.

A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University.

Reviews

[Matthew Liberio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great. As a team leader, it's important to me to understand the "why" of what makes teams worth being part of. Burkus breaks down the attributes of teams that have great chemistry and great performance. I especially love the section on Pro-Social Purpose and how that helps a team feel like what they do makes a difference in the world.

I'd recommend this to anyone who has any sort of influence on the culture of drama dynamics.

[Zoë Routh · Rating 4 out of 5]

solid but not original

Everything outlined is good, practical insights. Build safety, focus on purpose, build trust and respect. If you’re looking for original work, this is not it. If you’re looking for a step by step, start from scratch book, this is not it. If you’re looking for solid advice on team leadership with some interesting stories, then this is for you.

[Tomas Dabašinskas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is packed with a collection of intriguing stories, many of which I had the privilege of hearing when the author shared them on the DevOps Paradox podcast.

However, I must admit that aside from these captivating stories, I didn’t discover much new or unique content in the book. It left me craving for fresh perspectives and ideas.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't say that the content is anything revealing, but rather a reminder of what I should be doing as a manager with my team. Reality is, if I'm following the concepts Burkus has suggested, it affects all aspects of my life, whether at work, whether teaching my college courses, or even trying to be a better parent. Teams are all around us, even if not specifically called out. We can be high performing everywhere!

[Scott Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recent decades have witnessed the fields of neuroscience and psychology advance the insight that feeling a part of a vibrant community enhances a group’s success, however that is defined. This simple insight can be applied to many endeavors, ranging from civic organizations to businesses. When structured correctly, belonging can attract skilled employees while producing first-rate results. In this book, David Burkus seeks to instill readers with virtues that enhance a team’s well-being and success.

Burkus’ thesis is that common understanding, psychological safety, and prosocial purpose feed off of each other to produce both happier team members and high performance. He does bring out a few quantitative statistics to bolster his case, but he mostly inspires through well-researched stories. This book, in many ways, falls under the genre of inspiration for management, business, and leadership more than a carefully argued or reasoned case.

That leads me to the main drawback of this book. It is high on the pathos through inspirational stories; it’s also high on ethos through examples of well-known organizations; but it lacks logos via a methodical, research-driven case. It feels like church, only for teamwork. Now, I go to church, and I like teamwork. So there’s nothing wrong with these. Nonetheless, given this book’s subtitle touting “surprising science,” I just wanted more cognitive stimulation than I found. Indeed, the theme of the strong value of community can be found all over today’s business books. I wanted more originality.

Team and organizational leaders serve as an obvious audience for this book, but anyone who wants to work better with teammates can benefit. Books like this can get my eyes off of just fulfilling my desires and refocus my eyes onto helping those around me fulfill their challenges. Since reading this book, I’ve started to listen more deliberately and attentively to colleagues’ updates in meetings. And that’s all you can ask for a book like this: to gain a few nuggets to make your performance just a little better.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well started this in the fall the hard copy and was able to finish it finally this afternoon. Good examples and stories, that make me want to find out more about the Savannah Banana baseball team and recognize unfortunately some clear reasons why our current work team is not functioning at our best. There is not psychological safety, trust or respect, clear vision, clarity and active listening… I know I’m part of a solution and at the same time have been disrespected and devalued that I don’t want to go above and beyond anymore as I’m not trusting that it will be welcome let alone celebrated. So we’re not bringing forward our best efforts yet I think we all share the same purpose and can find value and meaning in our work with children and families.

[Mark Jestel · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Burkus's "Best Team Ever" explores the essential elements of team building, focusing on trust, empathy, respect, and other key factors. While the book doesn't necessarily offer groundbreaking insights compared to other leadership titles, I appreciated the practical examples and activities provided in several chapters. Our staff book club found it a valuable springboard for discussion, opening up new avenues of conversation about team dynamics. While the specific details haven't remained particularly sticky in the week since finishing it, "Best Team Ever" served its purpose as a catalyst for productive conversations and a helpful framework for building a stronger team.

[Maurits Roodhuijzen · Rating 3 out of 5]

As another review already highlighted: nothing original, but a short and sweet book. It spells out 3 key characteristics of high-performing teams, each divided into 2 categories. Each element of theory is neatly brought to life with a story, and each is closed with a bunch of practical suggestions. Being such a short book, it’s unable to go into much depth anywhere. Still, it gave me some inspiration for practical experiments and further reading as well

[Kit Kohl · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as team building books go, this is among the best. He focused on what makes teams work well, dispelling common myths or nonsense sayings that sound nice, but in fact are useless. he gave practical advice and real life examples of how it has worked. Overall it was an easy read, and I usually struggle to engage with these kind of books.

[Lila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read if new or need refreshing

I feel as though the information is the same as other leadership books I've read, just presented with different reference stories. It's a great refresher or a good place to start.

[Jelle Victoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of cool stories that illustrate the authors point. Yet this rather short book did not contain much new insights but rather a nice an concise overview of what makes teams work.
The last chapter does stand out for me personally and contains lessons I’ll remember and try to apply

[Kathy Patton · Rating 2 out of 5]

No real new information. Good reminders, but unoriginal content.

[Marimba N · Rating 3 out of 5]

For my corporate girlies.