High-performing teams do not happen by accident, and they do not survive on talent alone. The teams that consistently deliver through disruption, rapid growth, and organizational upheaval share specific structural and cultural characteristics — and nearly all of them can be deliberately engineered. This keynote presents the research and the practical playbook.
What This Keynote Covers
When Marcus led a 200-person engineering organization through an IPO, he watched some teams thrive under pressure while others — equally talented — collapsed. That experience launched a decade-long investigation into what makes the difference. This talk presents the findings.
- The five characteristics of resilient teams — and why talent is not in the top three
- How to stress-test your team's resilience before the next crisis does it for you
- Building psychological safety and accountability simultaneously (they are not in tension)
- The communication protocols that high-performing teams use in both calm and crisis
- Remote and hybrid team resilience — what changes and what stays the same
- Practical team exercises that build resilience capacity incrementally over 90 days
Ideal Audience
VP and director-level leaders managing teams of teams, HR and talent development professionals, and organizations going through mergers, rapid growth, restructuring, or other disruptive transitions.
Format Options
Available as a 45-minute keynote, a 90-minute interactive session with team diagnostic exercises, or a full-day workshop for intact leadership teams that includes a customized team resilience assessment and action plan.
