Average teams operate under a design flaw, not a talent shortage, according to psychologist Ron Friedman in his new book Superteams: The Science and Secrets of High-Performing Teams. The core argument is that creating the right conditions for collaboration yields extraordinary results.
Friedman, a trained psychologist who transitioned from academic research to corporate consulting, observes that the average worker spends 18 hours per week in meetings and 11 hours digging through messages. This leaves little time for substantive work, forcing employees to work early, late, or on weekends to catch up.
The book's first key insight diagnoses this as a systemic problem, describing how such workload compression makes burnout inevitable. The solution, Friedman argues, lies not in individual heroics but in redesigning how teams structure their time and communication.
Friedman draws on behavioral science to explain that high-performing teams — which he calls 'superteams' — share five specific operational differences. These practices shift the focus from grinding harder to working smarter by optimizing team dynamics and reducing friction.
While the book offers a framework for improvement, some critics might argue that individual talent and hiring still play a significant role, and that systemic design changes alone cannot compensate for a lack of skilled team members. The approach may also be harder to implement in highly hierarchical or rigid organizational structures.