Superteams: The Science and Secrets of High-Performing Teams
Ron Friedman
Simon & Schuster (June 2026)
No team can be “super” unless its members excel in communication, cooperation, and (especially) collaboration
As I began to read Superteams, I was again reminded of these remarks by Jack Welch when GE’s then chairman and CEO was asked why he held small companies in high regard. His reply:
“For one, they communicate better. Without the din and prattle of bureaucracy, people listen as well as talk; and since there are fewer of them, they generally know and understand each other. Second, small companies move faster. They know the penalties for hesitation in the marketplace. Third, in small companies, with fewer layers and less camouflage, the leaders show up very clearly on the screen. Their performance and its impact are clear to everyone. And, finally, smaller companies waste less. They spend less time in endless reviews and approvals and politics and paper drills. They have fewer people; therefore, they focus on doing what is most important. Their people are free to direct their energy and attention toward the marketplace rather than fighting bureaucracy.”
Ron Friedman agrees with Welch. The information, insights, and counsel that he provides in Superteams are based on his wide and deep research that eventually involved thousands of high-performing, high-impact teams within all manner of organizations. He shares his thoughts about what he considers to be their “science and secrets.”
For example, you’ll learn HOW Superteam members
o Stay focused
o Avoid useless meetings
o Establish habits and standards that set them apart
o Use downtown to boost better results sooner
o Help to develop the number of additional superperformers within the workplace culture
o Do what they do differently
o Use the “Trust Equation” effectively
o Develop teammates as personal friends as well as valued colleagues
o Sustain continuous improvement
o Coordinate personal growth with professional development
It is no coincidence that most of the companies that are annually ranked among those most highly admired and best to work for are also annually ranked among those that are most profitable and have the greatest cap value in their industry segment.
As Friedman correctly suggests, members of Superteams really don’t care who gets credit for success. They think and act in terms of first-person plural pronouns. They brag to family members and friends about their teammates’ skills. They hate waste, especially of time and energy, and do all they can to avoid it. They feel that they and what they contribute are respected and appreciated.
I commend Ron Friedman on a brilliant achievement. It really is a must-read for all executives, especially those who have direct reports entrusted to their care. I also highly recommend it to those no pfeparin g for a business career or have only recently embarked upon one.
Teams can only be “super” if their members produce high-impact results of great value.
If you share my high regard for Superteams, I urge you to check out The Octopus Organization: A Guide to Thriving in a World of Continuous Transformation, co-authored by Phil Lel-Brun and Ana Werner, and published by Harvard Business Review Press (December 2025)
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Here are two suggestions while you are reading Superteams: First, highlight key passages. Also, perhaps in a lined notebook kept near-at-hand, record your comments, questions, and action steps (preferably with deadlines). Pay special attention to the key points that are boxed within gray areas throughout the lively narrative.
These two simple tactics — highlighting and documenting — will expedite frequent reviews of key material later.