How to Build High-Performing Teams | Leadership Keynote Speaker David Burkus

What makes a high performing team? In this updated keynote, David shares the science of high-performing teams and a practical playbook you can apply immediately. You’ll learn what the best teams do differently, why “more effort” isn’t the answer, and how leaders create the clarity, trust, and shared purpose that make performance repeatable—not accidental. In this talk, you’ll learn: • The hidden reasons talented teams underperform • How to create clarity around roles, priorities, and decision-making • The behaviors that build trust and psychological safety (without lowering standards) • How to strengthen accountability without micromanaging • The leadership habits that turn a group of smart people into a true team If you’re a leader, manager, or team member trying to improve collaboration, execution, and results, this is the complete framework. 00:00 Why Work Is Teamwork 00:51 The Two Types of Teams We’ve All Experienced 02:00 Why Team Experience Drives Engagement 02:49 The Leader’s Responsibility for Team Culture 03:16 The 3 Essentials of High Performing Teams 04:00 What Shared Understanding Really Means 05:29 Work Styles and Why Leaders Get This Wrong 05:44 Email Novelists vs Email Poets 09:14 From Clear Plans to Clear People 10:10 Leadership Lessons from Space 11:31 Why Great Teams Avoid Conflict Without Avoiding Candor 13:10 How Psychological Safety Really Gets Built 15:45 The Leader’s Role in Creating Shared Trust 18:20 What Happens When Teams Feel Safe to Speak Up 21:05 Why Trust Is Built Through Action Not Intent 24:10 Introducing Shared Purpose 26:30 Why Purpose Beats Perks and Pay 29:40 The Question Every Team Must Answer 32:15 A Powerful Example of Prosocial Purpose 35:10 The Impact of Purpose on Engagement and Retention 38:20 How Leaders Create Purpose on Their Own Teams 41:00 Collecting and Sharing Impact Stories 44:00 Gratitude as a Leadership Tool 45:25 Building Your Best Team Ever // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn:   / davidburkus   Twitter:   / davidburkus   Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram:   / davidburkus