Building High Performing Teams

[5 min. read]

Struggling with slow decisions, low motivation, or teams that don’t really feel like… teams? You’re not alone. Many groups fall into common traps that block progress — even with talented people on board.

This page breaks down Patrick Lencioni’s 5 Dysfunctions of a Team using a practical twist: the T.R.U.S.T. model. Each letter represents one of the 5 core behaviors high-performing teams build — step by step — to grow stronger, faster, and more aligned.

Instead of theory, you’ll get real-world examples, action steps, and habits you can apply today — whether you’re a leader or a team player.

Why it matters: Every layer builds on the one below. Miss one, and the whole structure wobbles. But master them in order — and your team won’t just work together… they’ll win together.

Summary

Great teams aren’t built all at once — they’re built layer by layer. Start by spotting where your team might be stuck: Is trust missing? Are people avoiding conflict? Once you identify the weakest layer, work on strengthening it before moving up. Use the T.R.U.S.T. model below to guide your actions, build momentum, and grow a team that truly performs — together.

T – Trust First

Goal: Help people feel safe being honest and open.
When missing: People hide mistakes, avoid asking for help, and pretend to be okay.
Fix: Share personal stories, admit your own mistakes, and be open with your team.

R – Respectful Conflict

Goal: Let people speak up and share real opinions.
When missing: People stay quiet in meetings, avoid tough topics, or talk behind others’ backs.
Fix: Invite different opinions, ask questions, and deal with problems early.

U – Unified Commitment

Goal: Make sure everyone supports the same decisions and plans.
When missing: People leave meetings unsure, delay action, or don’t fully support the team’s choices.
Fix: Be clear on decisions, repeat next steps, and agree to move forward together.

S – Shared Accountability

Goal: Everyone helps keep the team on track and speaks up when something is off.
When missing: People make excuses, ignore problems, and only the leader gives feedback.
Fix: Set clear goals, check in often, and support each other in doing great work.

T – Team Wins First

Goal: Put the team’s success above personal goals or recognition.
When missing: People focus on their own tasks, care more about titles or credit, and lose motivation.
Fix: Share team results, celebrate progress together, and reward teamwork.


These 5 steps lead to better trust, stronger teamwork, and real results. Each level matters—if one is weak, the whole team feels it. Start with trust and build up from there.

Focus Sections

Once you know where your team is stuck, dive into the section below to take focused action.

Trust is the foundation of all great teams. It means team members feel safe being honest — sharing ideas, mistakes, or concerns without fear of judgment. Without trust, people protect themselves, hide problems, and don’t speak up.

What Happens When Trust Is Missing:

  • People hide their mistakes or flaws to avoid looking weak.
  • They don’t ask for help — or offer it — even when needed.
  • They assume bad intent behind others’ actions.
  • Frustration builds, and teamwork becomes guarded or cold.
  • Collaboration feels forced — not natural or easy.

When trust is strong, people feel safe being real. That leads to quicker problem-solving, better support, and stronger relationships. Less energy goes into office politics — more goes into great work.

How to Build Real Trust:
  • Start team check-ins with personal stories or fun icebreakers.
  • Use tools like personality profiles to understand differences.
  • Let team members give and receive feedback with kindness and honesty.
  • Show appreciation when someone opens up — especially when it’s hard.

What Great Leaders Do: Trust starts at the top. Be the first to say “I was wrong” or “I need help.” Share your own story. Celebrate honesty. When leaders show real vulnerability, the team follows — and real trust begins.

Real-Life Story: The Navy SEAL Who Asked for Help

During a high-pressure training mission, a young Navy SEAL recruit made a mistake. Instead of covering it up, he stepped forward in front of the entire team and said:

“I messed up. I didn’t speak up when I should have. That’s on me.”

The reaction wasn’t punishment—it was respect. His teammates clapped. One by one, others began admitting their own mistakes. The team grew closer, faster, and stronger.

Lesson: Real strength begins with vulnerability. High-performing teams don’t hide flaws—they grow from them.

Respectful conflict means team members feel safe to speak their minds — even when they disagree. With trust in place, they can challenge ideas, raise tough questions, and debate the best way forward. Without open conflict, teams stay in artificial harmony. Big issues stay hidden, and decision-making suffers.

What Happens When Conflict Is Avoided:

  • Meetings feel polite, but important concerns go unspoken.
  • People say yes in public but disagree in private.
  • Frustration builds because no one says what they really think.
  • Ideas don’t improve because they’re not tested or debated.
  • Team members lose interest or feel unheard.

Great teams disagree — respectfully and openly. It leads to stronger decisions, faster progress, and deeper trust.

How to Create Healthy Conflict:
  • Set the tone: Say, “It’s okay to disagree here — we value real conversation.”
  • Use a Devil’s Advocate: Pick someone to intentionally challenge assumptions or plans. Their job is to ask, “What if this fails?” or “What are we missing?” It’s not to be negative — it’s to make the idea stronger.
  • Ask open questions: Try “Who sees it differently?” or “What’s the risk no one wants to say out loud?”
  • Stay calm and curious: Disagree with the idea, not the person. Model that yourself.
  • Include quiet voices: Go around the table or ask people individually what they think.

What Great Leaders Do: Don’t avoid tension — welcome it. Say what others are thinking but afraid to say. Encourage the team to challenge your thinking too. When conflict feels safe, people stop holding back — and real breakthroughs happen.

Real-Life Story: Pixar’s Braintrust and Bold Feedback

At Pixar, every movie goes through a “Braintrust” session where directors present their work-in-progress and receive blunt, honest feedback from trusted peers. The feedback is direct: “This scene doesn’t work.” “Your character’s flat.”

No one gets defensive, because everyone knows the goal: make the movie better. As one director said, “The notes can be tough — but they’re never mean.”

Lesson: Honest feedback fuels excellence. When trust is strong, conflict helps — not hurts — the creative process.

Commitment means the team is aligned and moving forward together — even when not everyone fully agrees. Without open discussion and healthy conflict, people don’t feel heard. So they hesitate to commit. This leads to delays, confusion, and second-guessing.

What Happens Without Commitment:

  • Priorities are unclear — people work in different directions.
  • Decisions are revisited over and over, slowing everything down.
  • Team members say yes in meetings but don’t follow through later.
  • Some quietly disagree and criticize the decision afterward.

Great teams don’t wait for full agreement — they align around a clear decision and move forward with confidence. Commitment creates clarity, speed, and momentum.

How to Create Unified Commitment:
  • Don’t aim for consensus: Make space for input, then decide — and commit.
  • Summarize decisions clearly: At the end of meetings, repeat what was decided and why.
  • Clarify ownership: Say who’s doing what by when — and make it visible.
  • Say it out loud: Ask, “Is everyone ready to commit — even if you had a different view earlier?”

What Great Leaders Do: Leaders make tough calls and help the team move forward, even with disagreement. They push for clarity, close open loops, and show that action beats indecision. If needed, they revisit decisions — but only when there's new insight.

Real-Life Story: Amazon’s “Disagree and Commit” Principle

At Amazon, leaders often disagree — but once a decision is made, they all commit. Jeff Bezos once said:

“I knew we’d be wasting time if we kept debating. So I told my team: ‘I disagree and commit.’”

That decision led to a major product launch. It wasn’t perfect — but it moved fast, and the team rallied behind it. Later, they improved it together.

Lesson: You don’t need 100% agreement — just 100% commitment. Strong teams align, act, and adapt.

Shared accountability means teammates respectfully call out low effort, missed deadlines, or behavior that hurts the group. When this is missing, people stay silent — and the team’s performance slips. Without commitment, no one feels responsible for the outcome. And without accountability, problems grow unchecked.

What Happens Without Accountability:

  • Some people underdeliver while others pick up the slack.
  • Deadlines are missed, but no one says anything.
  • Only the manager gives feedback — teammates stay quiet.
  • Frustration builds when others don’t meet expectations.

In strong teams, everyone holds each other to high standards. They speak up early, help each other improve, and stay focused on doing great work — together.

How to Build Shared Accountability:
  • Make expectations clear: Agree as a team what “great work” looks like.
  • Talk openly about progress: Use check-ins or dashboards to track results.
  • Normalize feedback: Give permission to say, “Hey — we agreed on this, let’s follow through.”
  • Call out great effort too: Reinforce accountability by celebrating what’s working.

What Great Leaders Do: Great leaders don’t micromanage — they make accountability a team habit. They help the group set clear standards, ask the right questions, and model what it looks like to give and receive feedback. Their goal? Make peer accountability the norm, not the exception.

Real-Life Story: The Basketball Team with a Silent Code

In a top university basketball team, players had a rule: if someone didn’t hustle back on defense, another teammate would tap their chest twice — no yelling, no shame. Just a sign that said, “I’ve got your back — but step up.”

This quiet signal kept the team sharp. It wasn’t about punishment — it was about pride. The team went on to win their league, not because they had the best talent, but because they held each other accountable, every game.

Lesson: When teammates hold each other to high standards, everyone rises together.

When people focus only on their own goals, the team suffers. The final layer — Team Wins First — reminds us that success comes from shared results, not individual wins. Without that mindset, people work in silos, protect their own turf, and celebrate personal progress over team breakthroughs.

What Happens When Teams Ignore Results:

  • People focus on their own tasks and forget the team goal.
  • Recognition and praise go to individuals, not team efforts.
  • There’s no scoreboard — so no one knows if the team is winning.
  • Motivation drops, and people settle for “good enough.”

High-performing teams are obsessed with outcomes. They track progress, celebrate shared wins, and put the team’s mission ahead of personal gain.

How to Keep the Team Focused on Results:
  • Make results visible: Use a simple dashboard or team scoreboard.
  • Link rewards to group wins: Celebrate shared effort and progress, not just individual stars.
  • Remind the team of the bigger goal: Start meetings by revisiting the mission.

What Great Leaders Do: Great leaders talk about the scoreboard. They share progress often, reward collaboration, and challenge the team to reach new levels. They make it clear: the real win is a team win.

Real-Life Story: The Tech Startup That Shared the Score

A fast-growing startup was struggling. Teams worked hard—but in different directions. Morale dipped, results stalled. The CEO tried something simple: every Monday, she showed a one-slide snapshot of company goals and weekly progress. It wasn’t fancy — just honest and clear.

Suddenly, things shifted. Teams aligned, celebrated small wins, and rallied when numbers dipped. Departments helped each other hit milestones. In just three months, performance skyrocketed — not because people worked harder, but because they worked together.

Lesson: When the scoreboard is shared, so is the motivation. Teams win when everyone sees what winning looks like.

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