You know that feeling when you’re in a meeting and hesitate to speak… because you’re really nervous about how someone else in the room might react?

Hopefully, it’s rare. But if it happens consistently, welcome to the SHARK TANK team.
These teams are tough, competitive, and outcome-driven – but often at the cost of empathy, trust, and collaboration.

Then there’s the PETTING ZOO team.
It feels calm, maybe even nice – but you soon realise that nobody dares to “put the fish on the table,” as George Kohlrieser would say.
Conflict is avoided, decisions are vague, and nothing really moves forward.

 

And then… there’s the HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAM.
Paradoxically, this is where confrontation is welcomed – not as a fight, but as a way to sharpen thinking, align around purpose, and choose the best path forward.
Here, vulnerability-based trust is high – which, as Patrick Lencioni teaches, is the foundation of any truly great team.

So how do you move from sharks and zoos… to something exceptional?

It starts with really getting to know each other.

Then, layer in the core dynamics of trust, psychological safety, and constructive conflict.
From this foundation – teams can really build a powerful shared purpose and execute on strategy with clarity and focus.

 

🧠 What’s your take? Which team type do you encounter most?

Jakob