glasses 272399 1280When I set out to read Superteams: The Secrets of Stellar Performance from Seven Legendary Teams by Khoi Tu, I confess that I thought I was wading into a pop business book with perhaps a few big ideas but very little soul or substance.

I was so wrong. 

I will be quoting this book for years to come and I don’t mind that it was written in 2013 – the ideas are timeless and guaranteed to help you achieve your goals this year.

Here is what you’ll be missing if you don’t read Superteams. If you have goals that you want to achieve this year, this book will be a great help.

 

 

1. Relevant examples to draw from. Rather than trying to squish a wide range of examples into one tidy teamwork formula, Tu has let each example of a legendary team speak for itself. No two teams are alike and while they all have certain things in common, the beauty of this read is that each legendary team demonstrates completely different aspects of teamwork. Just like in real life. With seven different teams to choose from, ranging from the SAS to Ferrari Formula 1 to the British Red Cross you will no doubt find one or two that will shine a light on your own team and show you the next step to becoming legendary.

2. Powerful insights into teamwork. Tu uses his hefty intellect (being London School of Economics-trained) and years of experience to draw undeniably true and clever insights into the real inner workings of stellar teams. One of the last sentences I highlighted in the book is on the topic of change management: “In changing culture, management is the message.” Short and sweet, there it is. If you want an outstanding team, you’ll learn an incredible amount in a few short hours.

3. A dogma-free serve of healthy advice for creating an outstanding team. I enjoy a book that doesn’t try to make purple or yellow into black and white. You will find plenty of useful advice but you won’t find statements saying “you must”. Sometimes life just isn’t that simple, especially not in teams – that’s my opinion in any case and I like a book that provides insights then leaves you free to make up your own mind for your situation. Transforming your team just got a whole lot easier.

 

There are some powerful lessons for leaders in this book, e.g. “Teams that make no mistakes end up making nothing of consequence”; and “Conflict about ideas is productive and conflict that is personal is destructive.” After reading it, I am now a fan of Khoi Tu.

Watch Khoi Tu outline some of the main lessons of the book on YouTube. You’ll be surprised that you haven’t heard more from Tu – Superteams appears to be his first and only book, while Jamie Oliver currently keeps him busy as a Director and Advisor to the Board.

Whether you are facing a crisis or you have an audacious goal; whether you need help bringing together diverse personalities or you have a complex negotiation on your hands, this book will help you change the outcome from failure to success. That is sure to change your year.

I recommend you let Superteams give you some new ideas. (Proceeds from the book support the British Red Cross.) You’ll enjoy the journey and the destination, wherever it takes you.

 

About Nina Sochon
Nina Sochon is the CEO of Transformed Teams - a training, coaching and consulting firm creating incredibly successful professional teams. Receive your free Team Health Check for Conventional and Virtual Teams.