Extreme Teams - by Robert Bruce Shaw (Paperback)

About the Book

It's time to leave old paradigms behind and embrace a new intensity and collaboration. Don't settle for the common team; create an Extreme Team!

Book Synopsis

This book takes a revitalized look at how teams should work in today's business is driving real growth in some of the world's most innovative firms.

Every manager desires to have great teams around them collaborating together and running with the mission. Unfortunately, most of these teams have been built around outdated practices made popular by companies that either no longer exist or haven't been relevant in years.

However, a new generation of teams has learned to do things differently--things like hiring the right person instead of the best person; focusing on one priority while leaving room to explore new ideas; creating an environment where people are comfortable dealing with the uncomfortable; and maximizing profit by not making it top priority.

In Extreme Teams, take a peek into top companies and examine the teamwork experiments powering their results, including how:

• Pixar's teams use constant feedback and debate to transform initially flawed films into billion-dollar hits
• A culture of radical "freedom and responsibility" helps Netflix execute on the next big thing
• Whole Food's super-autonomous teams embrace hard metrics and friendly competition to drive performance
• Zappos fuels the weirdness and fun that sustains its success

From marketing to design to technology to product demand, everything has changed in business and will continue to do so. Why shouldn't the teams carrying out these changes undergo their own upgrades?

From the Back Cover

Advance praise for Extreme Teams

"There is a new generation of firms experimenting with bold new ways of using teams, and in Extreme Teams Robert Shaw shows how they do it. Through his masterful storytelling and engaging analysis, Shaw offers revealing insights and practical lessons for team leaders who want their own groups to perform at much higher levels. Extreme Teams is a powerhouse book and a fascinating inside look at what it takes to be innovative in how we design and manage teams in the age of disruption. The stories alone are worth the price of the book; the payoff you'll get from putting the lessons to work makes Extreme Teams invaluable." -- Jim Kouzes, coauthor of the bestselling business classic, The Leadership Challenge, and the Dean's Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University

"Putting together a great team may seem like catching lightning in a bottle, but the truth is that you can build one. You just need the right guide, and that's Shaw's Extreme Teams. Packed with real-world examples, Extreme Teams equips you with the priorities and knowledge you need to build outstanding teams that can disrupt your business in all the right ways! Outstanding!"-- Marshall Goldsmith, bestselling author or editor of 35 books, including What Got You Here Won't Get You There and Triggers

"The best companies rely on teams to deliver the results they need. But too many leaders underestimate the creativity and persistence needed to design and manage teams effectively. Extreme Teams describes how innovative companies are pushing the boundaries in regard to teams. A fascinating study of innovation that vividly illustrates the future of teamwork. Highly recommended for leaders who want to create a culture that fosters superior team performance in their own organizations." -- Linda P. Hudson, Chairman and CEO of The Cardea Group; former President and CEO of BAE Systems Inc. and Chief Operating Officer, BAE Systems plc

"Cutting-edge organizations are constantly experimenting with creative approaches to team building. Extreme Teams shares their success practices, and we learn how to fully ignite the performance and results of our own teams." -- Frances Hesselbein, Office of the President and CEO, The Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute; Editor-in-Chief of the award-winning quarterly, Leader to Leader

Review Quotes

..".great insight...gives ideas for those firms that would like to hire the best employee and motivate them to perform at the highest level they can." --PM World Journal

..".takes a very balanced, shockingly brutal look at the benefits, costs and potential pitfalls of utilizing high-performance teams...one of the few books that I have seen to directly address teams realistically." -PM World Journal

..".provides a very informative look into the processes that make teams at firms such as Pixar and Alibaba so successful." --Choice

"Teamwork requires more than the occasional pizza party or rock-climbing expedition. Extreme Teams looks at the team-building practices of high-performing companies to identify what works best." --Accounting Today

About the Author

ROBERT BRUCE SHAW is a consultant specializing in organizational and team performance. An in-demand speaker, he is the author of Trust in the Balance and Leadership Blindspots.