Literature of Leadership - December Book Review

WIRED TO CONNECT: THE BRAIN SCIENCE OF TEAMS AND A NEW MODEL FOR CREATING COLLABORATION AND INCLUSION. Britt Andreatta. (2018, Kindle Edition)​

In today’s workplace environment, most people spend 30-50% of their workday on teams—networking with others across organizational and geographical boundaries. Indeed, research suggests that ‘work team networks”, whether in-person or technology enabled, increasingly power the work performed in organizations. Therefore, creating the conditions for effective teamwork is critical to organizational success. Wired to Connect presents the art and science of what creates (and destroys) peak-performing teams.

Authored by Dr. Britt Andreatta—an internationally recognized thought leader, educator, author and keynote speaker on learning and leadership—the book presents a clear roadmap for building successful teams. The first four of six sections provide a synthesis of scholarly research from a broad spectrum of disciplines on what differentiates high performing teams from the rest. Following from the research, Section V advances a new model for building great teams and inclusive cultures that is applicable to any setting. The model, named the Four Gates to Peak Team Performance™—distinguishes between four progressive levels of performance, aptly called “gates”, including: (1) safety, (2) purpose, (3) belonging, and (4) peak performance. In Section VI, practical strategies are provided to assist executives, team members, and team leaders in assessing and addressing potential threats at each “gate” stage on the road to achieving peak team performance.

This is a highly engaging and thought-provoking book. Real-world case studies are peppered throughout to illustrate key concepts. Teachable moments for maximizing the reader’s personal learning experience are inserted at the end of each section that is accompanied by a downloadable PDF worksheet. A great book to add to your holiday reading list!