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Research suggests this is how to build a high performing team

Marie-Claire Ross : Updated on March 20, 2026

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In a recent Fast company article, Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic made the bold statement that an under-rated leadership skill is being able to build a high-performance team.

He's got a valid point.

Numerous research studies have demonstrated that the team's culture, established by its leader, significantly influences its performance.

Possibly the most famous study was by Google who discovered in their ground-breaking research, Project Aristotle, that it doesn't matter who is on the team, but how the team is led. It went against the prevailing assumption that all you need to create a high performing team is to bring super stars together.

Of course, if you know anything about sports teams, that is one of the trickiest hurdles for the coach to manage - big egos who play for individual (and not team) glory.

So despite solid research and Netflix documentaries demonstrating the importance of leaders who can build high performing teams, few leaders are taught how to sustain a high performance team. Not surprisingly, even fewer leaders consider it.

Building a high performance team is not an accident. It takes work, dedication and a good grasp of what levers you can use to change performance.

They are also rare. According to a study, only 8.7% of respondents gave their teams qualifying high-performing scores.

Let's take a look at what steps you can take to focus on fostering a high performance team.

How to Build a High Performance Team

In my Leadership Mastermind program, I teach leaders about how to get their team to stay in the Achievement Zone. It is a game-changer to understand how high psychological safety and accountability interact to create high performance. You can find out more in my book, Trusted to Thrive (get a free chapter here). So let's unpack how to build a high performing team using the Achievement Zone model.

1. Know where you are

To improve our results, we have to be honest about where we are currently sitting compared to where we want to go. We need to be aware of the gap and what needs to improve. The reality is that even if we are currently operating at the Achievement Zone external events or bad habits can drag us into a lower performing zone.

Start with assessing where your team currently sit. Are you in the anxiety, abatement or apathy zone? What about you? Where are individuals in your team sitting? You can even ask your team members for their feedback. Use these questions to help you.

2. Create a Plan to Sustain Achievement Zone Performance

Once you have worked out where you are, you can then map out strategies for each person in your team and the team overall.

Using the Achievement Zone model, my students have found it not only helpful, but also motivating "to sit back and plug in where I was sitting as a manager and also the team at any given time. It gave me strategies to move people towards more positive zones and work on getting into the Achievement Zone. I realised that while it’s possible to get into the Achievement Zone, it’s not a given to stay there."

Of course, not all strategies are equal. What is critical is that each strategy you use works towards building trust in your team. Not just between you and each individual, but between team members as well. You can join my free 7-Day Achievement Zone Challenge to write a plan for you and your team.

3. Dedicate Regular Time each week to work on your team

Work on your team, not in it. You might have heard a similar saying about running a business, but the same is true for teams as well.

Getting things done at work is a team effort. It's not just about working hard in your role; you also need to actively focus on building the team. Otherwise, you risk team members focusing on their individual tasks and forgetting to help each other out. And if you are focused on your individual tasks, you miss out on opportunities to build relationships that make work easier.

When we actively work on our team, things start to fall into place and become more enjoyable.

4. Be Ambitious and Positive

Believing in yourself and your team is critical to sustaining high performance.

Research has found that leaders who promote positive energy have a significant impact on innovation, organisational performance and employee satisfaction. This requires leaders who prioritise being positive and exuding a positive, upbeat energy in order to maintain enthusiasm in their team, even when things get difficult.

This entails holding a steadfast belief that challenges will be overcome, no matter the circumstances. It's about trusting that as a team, you will navigate obstacles and pave a way forward. Embracing the reality that setbacks will occur, yet refusing to let negative occurrences deter your progress.

It requires what I call inspired optimism.

Inspired optimism is when we view all conditions as beneficial. Changing conditions, obstacles and moving targets are seen as opportunities to learn, adapt and grow.

Inspired optimism requires being willing to address both failure and success, rather than the typical leadership approach of favouring one over the other. Consequently, it generates high levels of psychological safety, because errors and concerns are openly discussed, ensuring the team can course correct and avert a potential crisis.

5. Use different leadership styles

It's a common misperception that to be an authentic leader you have to lead in a consistent manner.

When circumstances change, it's time to change how you lead.

Frequently, I find leaders resort to leading in the same way, not fully appreciating that changing their approach doesn't make them less authentic.

The truth is that leadership is a constantly evolving concept. And there are many ways to lead. Being able to consciously change your approach to fit the circumstances makes you more effective.

After all, parents learn pretty quickly that they can't use the same parenting style for each child. You have to change your leadership style for each individual in your team, based on their response.

Research consistently shows that top leaders possess the ability to adapt their leadership styles, selecting from a diverse range of task-specific behaviours and practices.

6. Harness the Power of Groups

Successful teams hold one another accountable for success.

Use the power of the group to encourage everyone to do their best work. Teach your team to challenge one another respectfully to lift their game, as well as support one another.

Also, be really intentional about how your team collaborates.

A study found that high-performing teams, don't leave collaboration to chance, they share credit, keep their colleagues in the loop, believe disagreements make them better and work on proactively addressing tension.

7. Make Time for You

If we want our teams to be inspired, we need to feel inspired. If we want our teams to perform at a high level, we also need to be doing the same.

If you're exhausted, frustrated or angry, you won't have anything to give your team.

Make sure you spend time replenishing your energy. Ensure you have a good support system to help you when things get hard whether that be friends, a mentor or a coach.

Your team is always in a state of flux. Nothing lasts forever. Having the strategies to help team members when they come across roadblocks and being able to pick yourself up again after a massive disappointment are key.

If you'd like to learn the strategies to lead a high performing team and be part of monthly "Work on your Team" sessions, then come and join the Tribe of Trusted Leaders - Leadership Mastermind. It will help you guide, challenge and shape the thinking of your team.