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Engineering High-Performing Teams · The Science of Leading

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  Hey everyone, welcome back to The Science of Leading.
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  I'm Claire Monroe, and as always,
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  I'm here with the one and only Edwin Carrington.
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  Edwin, how are you doing today?
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  Doing well,
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  Claire.
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  Always a pleasure to dig into these topics with you.
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  And I have to say, today's subject-high-performing teams-is one
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  that's
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  close to my heart.
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  I've seen a lot of teams in my time,
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  and the difference between a good team and a truly high-performing one
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  is, well, night and day.
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  Yeah, and I think a lot of people assume that
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  if you just put a bunch of talented people together,
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  you'll get magic.
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  But, honestly, that's not what I've seen.
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  I remember my first "superstar" team-everyone had impressive resumes,
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  but we just... didn't click.
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  We missed deadlines, there was tension,
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  and it felt like we were all rowing in different directions.
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  I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working.
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  That's a classic scenario,
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  Claire.
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  It's tempting to think talent alone is enough,
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  but high performance is engineered,
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  not accidental.
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  The research backs this up-high-performing teams are built on
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  shared
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  goals, psychological safety, clear roles,
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  and balanced accountability.
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  It's about intentional design.
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  You need everyone aligned on what success looks like,
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  and each person has to know how their role fits into the bigger picture.
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  Otherwise, you get what you described: a group of individuals,
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  not a team.
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  So, it's not just about having the right skills,
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  but about how those skills fit together.
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  I mean, I've read that teams with clear goals and defined roles are way
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  more effective.
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  But psychological safety-that's the one that always stands out to me.
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  Like, people need to feel safe to speak up,
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  right?
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  Exactly.
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  Amy Edmondson's work and Google's Project Aristotle both found psychological
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  safety to be the number one predictor of team success.
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  When people feel safe to share ideas,
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  admit mistakes, or challenge each other,
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  you get real collaboration and innovation.
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  And that's what separates a high-performing team from just a
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  collection
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  of high performers.
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  So, if you're listening and thinking,
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  "My team is full of smart people,
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  but we're not hitting our stride," maybe it's time to look at the design
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  and the dynamics, not just the résumés.
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  Where was I going with this?
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  Oh right-so, Edwin, what's the first thing you look for when you're assessing
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  whether a team has high-performance potential?
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  I always start with alignment.
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  Is there a shared mission?
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  Are roles clear?
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  And do people feel safe to contribute?
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  If those aren't in place, talent alone won't get you very far.
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  That makes
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  sense.
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  But let's talk about why so many teams miss the mark.
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  I mean, we've all seen teams with great people that just... fizzle.
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  What are the most common pitfalls you see?
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  There are a few big ones.
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  Vague goals-if people don't know what success means,
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  they can't deliver it.
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  Unclear roles-when responsibilities overlap or get dropped,
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  things stall.
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  Communication breakdowns-if people don't feel safe to speak up,
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  issues get buried.
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  And, maybe most damaging, poor team fit.
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  Even one misaligned hire can throw off the whole group.
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  The cost isn't just missed targets; it's lost morale,
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  disengagement, and sometimes, your best people quietly leaving.
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  Yeah,
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  and I think a lot of leaders fall into the trap of thinking,
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  "If I just hire for intelligence,
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  energy, and integrity"-the Warren Buffett trio-they'll be set.
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  But even that's not enough, right?
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  That's right.
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  Buffett's three are foundational,
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  but behavioral fit is the missing piece.
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  I once worked with a brilliant analyst-off-the-charts smart,
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  high energy, total integrity.
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  But the team needed someone who could handle constant client interaction
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  and fast pivots.
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  He was more comfortable with deep,
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  solo analysis.
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  He struggled, the team struggled,
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  and it was nobody's fault.
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  It was just a misfit.
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  That's such a good point.
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  And it's something we've talked about in earlier episodes-how gut instinct
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  in hiring can be so misleading.
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  I mean, you can have a great feeling about someone,
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  but if you're not looking at how they'll actually mesh with the team,
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  you're rolling the dice.
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  That's where OAD's assessments come in,
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  right?
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  Absolutely.
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  OAD's behavioral assessments help you see beyond the résumé and the interview.
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  They measure how someone communicates,
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  makes decisions, handles pressure-all the things that determine whether
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  they'll thrive in your specific environment.
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  It's about moving from guesswork to precision.
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  And when you get that fit right,
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  performance becomes almost effortless.
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  So,
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  it's not just about "can they do the job," but "will they thrive here,
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  with these people, in this context." That's a big shift for a lot of
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  leaders, but it's so important if you want to avoid those costly mis-hires.
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  Let's
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  dig into what actually keeps a team performing at a high level over time.
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  We've talked about psychological safety,
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  but what else goes into building trust and alignment that lasts?
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  Trust
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  is the foundation, but it's reinforced by shared responsibility and continuous
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  growth.
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  High-performing teams don't just hit their goals-they challenge each
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  other, adapt, and keep raising the bar.
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  Structured feedback is key.
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  When feedback is timely and actionable,
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  it keeps everyone moving in the right direction.
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  And development opportunities-whether it's training,
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  mentorship, or new challenges-help people grow with the team,
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  not just in their own silos.
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  I love that.
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  And I'm curious-how do leaders actually reinforce culture day-to-day?
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  I mean, it's easy to talk about values,
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  but how do you make them real?
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  It's about modeling the behavior you want
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  to see.
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  Howard Schultz at Starbucks is a great example-he didn't just talk about
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  culture, he lived it.
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  He made sure people understood the "why" behind decisions,
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  especially during tough transitions.
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  And with OAD clients, we've seen that when leaders use data to understand
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  their teams-who needs more support,
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  who's ready for a stretch assignment-they can tailor their approach and
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  keep the culture strong, even as things change.
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  So,
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  it's not just about setting the tone at the top,
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  but about reinforcing it in the little moments-how you give feedback,
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  how you handle mistakes, how you celebrate wins.
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  And I guess, making sure everyone feels like they belong and can contribute,
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  even when things get messy or uncertain.
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  Exactly.
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  Culture isn't a poster on the wall-it's how people treat each other,
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  how they solve problems, and how they hold each other accountable.
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  When you get that right, you build resilience.
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  The team can weather change, adapt,
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  and keep performing at a high level.
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  Alright,
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  so let's talk about the role of data.
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  I feel like this is where a lot of teams either level up or get stuck.
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  How do you actually use data to keep improving,
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  instead of just collecting it and moving on?
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  Great question.
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  The best teams don't just set and forget-they're always measuring,
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  learning, and adjusting.
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  Regular data collection on team performance-things like pulse surveys,
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  feedback tools, and behavioral analytics-gives you real-time insight
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  into what's working and what's not.
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  It's not about micromanaging; it's about spotting patterns early,
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  so you can intervene before small issues become big problems.
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  So,
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  you're saying it's not just about annual reviews or big,
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  formal assessments.
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  It's about building feedback into the rhythm of the team-quick check-ins,
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  anonymous surveys, that kind of thing?
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  Exactly.
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  The more you can make feedback and data collection part of everyday life,
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  the more agile and resilient your team becomes.
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  And with the right analytics, you can even predict where disruptions
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  might happen-like if psychological safety is dipping,
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  or if certain roles are overloaded.
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  That lets you act proactively,
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  not reactively.
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  I love that.
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  It's like, you're not just hoping things will work out-you're engineering
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  your edge, as you always say.
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  And I guess that's the big takeaway: high-performing teams don't happen
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  by accident.
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  They're built, measured, and improved on purpose.
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  That's right,
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  Claire.
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  If you want to outperform, retain top talent,
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  and move faster, invest in alignment,
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  trust, and data-driven improvement.
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  Don't leave it to chance.
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  Well,
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  that's a perfect place to wrap for today.
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  Thanks, Edwin, for sharing your wisdom as always.
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  And thanks to everyone listening-if you want to see these ideas in action,
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  check out OAD dot ai for free.
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  We'll be back soon with more on building smarter,
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  stronger teams.
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  Edwin, always a pleasure.
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  Likewise,
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  Claire.
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  Take care, everyone, and keep leading with intention.
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  See you next time
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  on The Science of Leading!