Sustainable high performing teams, everyone’s talking about them. In every organisation we work with, from Fortune 100s to tech start-ups, leaders want to build high-performing teams. But what does that mean in practice? And what separates a team that simply functions from one that thrives under pressure? This guide explores the psychology and research behind team performance, and how to build a team that’s resilient, innovative and consistently effective.
What Is a Sustainable High-Performing Team?
A high-performing team is a group of people who consistently achieve exceptional results while maintaining trust, wellbeing, and adaptability.
They don’t just deliver; they evolve — learning from mistakes, adapting under pressure, and sustaining performance over time.
Key characteristics include:
- Shared purpose and clear goals that align with organisational strategy
- Trust and psychological safety, so people can speak up and innovate
- Mutual accountability and ownership of results
- Strong communication and collaboration
- Diversity of thought and complementary strengths
- Adaptability and resilience under changing conditions
When these elements combine, performance, wellbeing and innovation rise together.
The Research on Sustainable High-Performing Teams
The Foundations: What Organisational Psychology Tells Us
Research over several decades confirms that high performance is built on processes and relationships, not just talent.
Kozlowski and Ilgen (2006) showed that team success depends on inputs, processes and emergent states; like trust, cohesion, and shared understanding, that evolve through deliberate effort.
Meta-analysis by McEwan et al. (2017) found that structured team development interventions (TDIs) focused on improving communication, coordination and reflection, significantly boost team performance across sectors.
What Sustainable High-Performing Teams Have in Common
- The CIPD’s 2021 Evidence Review highlights six consistent drivers: leadership, climate, communication, goal clarity, diversity and adequate resources.
- Google’s Project Aristotle (2015) identified psychological safety as the single strongest predictor of team performance, followed by dependability, structure and clarity, meaning, and impact.
- Halevy et al. (2023) showed that social intelligence and team familiarity often predict success more reliably than technical skill — demonstrating that relationships matter as much as expertise.
The Dark Side of Psychological Safety: When Comfort Breeds Complacency
Psychological safety. Defined by Amy Edmondson (2018) as the belief that it’s safe to take interpersonal risks, is a cornerstone of high-performing teams.
But there’s a caveat, safety without challenge can dull performance.
A 2021 study by Frazier et al. (Journal of Organizational Behavior) found that too much psychological safety may reduce vigilance and critical feedback. When everyone feels “too safe,” complacency and groupthink can creep in.
The most effective teams balance psychological safety with high accountability, a space Edmondson calls the Learning Zone, where people are both supported and stretched.
It’s this dynamic tension, comfort plus challenge, that keeps teams at their best.
How to Build a Sustainable High-Performing Team
1. Define Purpose and Clarity
Start with the “why.” Teams perform best when their purpose is clear, shared and emotionally resonant.
Katzenbach & Smith (1993) found that a collective purpose, beyond individual objectives, distinguishes a real team from a working group.
Revisit that purpose often as priorities evolve.
2. Build Trust and Psychological Safety (Without Losing Edge)
Trust is the foundation of every high-performing team. Create a climate where people can admit mistakes, question assumptions and share new ideas without fear. Take a look at growth mindset to build that.
Model humility as a leader, invite input, and encourage curiosity.
But don’t confuse safety with comfort. Pair openness with rigour, accountability and high expectations — that’s what keeps performance strong.
3. Strengthen Communication
According to the Project Management Institute (2018), poor communication remains one of the top reasons teams fail.
Hold regular check-ins, retrospectives and feedback sessions. Make expectations explicit, particularly in hybrid or cross-cultural settings.
High-performing teams don’t rely on assumptions — they verify understanding.
4. Leverage Diversity and Collective Strengths
Diverse teams consistently outperform homogeneous ones on complex tasks (Page, 2007).
Encourage cognitive diversity, recognise individual strengths, and ensure inclusion.
Use frameworks such as CliftonStrengths or Belbin Team Roles to turn difference into a competitive advantage.
5. Foster Accountability and Continuous Learning
Autonomy only works when accountability is strong.
Patrick Lencioni (2002) identified avoidance of accountability as one of the top team dysfunctions.
Use transparent goals, peer accountability, and after-action reviews to embed reflection and improvement.
McKinsey’s research shows that reflective teams are 25% more productive than those that aren’t.
6. Lead Like a Coach, Not a Controller
Great leaders enable, not command.
The Center for Creative Leadership’s Team Effectiveness Framework (2020) shows that leaders who focus on purpose, shared responsibility and trust drive lasting performance.
Ask coaching questions that unlock thinking: “What would make this work even better?” and remove barriers rather than imposing control.
7. Prevent Burnout and Sustain Momentum
High performance isn’t sustainable without recovery.
Maslach & Leiter (2016) found that workload, lack of control and insufficient recognition are primary predictors of burnout.
Balance challenge with renewal. Encourage breaks, flexible work rhythms and shared reflection.
A thriving team is one that knows when to pause as well as when to push.
Common Pitfalls That Derail Team Performance
Even high-performing teams can stumble. Typical traps include:
- Social loafing — reduced effort in groups (Ringelmann, 1913)
- Over-harmony — avoiding constructive conflict to “keep the peace” (Edmondson, 2018)
- Burnout — overwork without renewal (Boyatzis & McKee, 2005)
- Complacency — comfort mistaken for cohesion (Frazier et al., 2021)
Spot these early, talk about them openly, and recalibrate your team’s balance between comfort and challenge.
Key Takeaways to Create Sustainable High Performing Teams
- Purpose fuels alignment — without it, teams drift.
- Psychological safety enables learning, but must be balanced with accountability.
- Trust and communication transform individual skill into collective strength.
- Diversity and inclusion expand creativity and adaptability.
- Reflection and accountability sustain long-term success.
High-performing teams don’t happen by accident, they’re built through design, trust and continuous learning.
When leaders balance safety with stretch, challenge with care, and results with renewal, teams don’t just perform, they flourish. To find out more about building high performing teams training courses get in touch.
References
Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2005). Resonant Leadership. Harvard Business School Press.
CIPD (2021). Evidence Review: High-Performing Teams.
Edmondson, A. (2018). The Fearless Organization. Wiley.
Frazier, M. L. et al. (2021). Too Much of a Good Thing? Exploring the Curvilinear Relationship Between Psychological Safety and Team Performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(3).
Google (2015). Project Aristotle Findings. re:Work.
Halevy, N. et al. (2023). The Team Player Effect. Journal of Applied Psychology.
Katzenbach, J., & Smith, D. (1993). The Wisdom of Teams. Harvard Business School Press.
Kozlowski, S. W. J., & Ilgen, D. R. (2006). Enhancing the Effectiveness of Work Groups and Teams. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 7(3).
Lencioni, P. (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Jossey-Bass.
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. (2016). Burnout: The Cost of Caring. Springer.
McEwan, D. et al. (2017). Teamwork Training Interventions in Organizations: A Meta-Analysis. Human Resource Management Review.
Page, S. (2007). The Difference. Princeton University Press.
Project Management Institute (2018). Pulse of the Profession Report.
Center for Creative Leadership (2020). Team Effectiveness Framework.