Team Genius audiobook cover - The New Science of High-Performing Organizations

Team Genius

The New Science of High-Performing Organizations

Rich Karlgaard and Michael S. Malone

★ 3.8 / 5(58 ratings)
Start ListeningDownload App
Categories:
Corporate Culture

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

Listen to Team Genius — Free Audiobook

Loading player...

Key Takeaways from Team Genius

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Team Genius

Mind Map

Team Genius
The Team Imperative+
Power of Diversity+
Team Sizes and Structures+
Culture and Lifecycle+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
What crucial skill allows businesses to survive in rapidly shifting markets, as exemplified by Apple's success between 2002 and 2012?
  • A. Uncompromising adherence to long-term business plans
  • B. Maneuverability to change direction quickly
  • C. Relying exclusively on a single visionary leader
  • D. Outsourcing innovation to third-party developers
Question 2 of 7
According to the book, how did human children differ from capuchin monkeys and chimpanzees in a puzzle-solving study?
  • A. The children solved the puzzle faster but kept the reward for themselves.
  • B. The children relied on an adult to guide them through the steps.
  • C. The children chose to work in teams, taught each other tricks, and shared the reward.
  • D. The children attempted to solve the problem alone, showing higher individual intelligence.
Question 3 of 7
In the context of team diversity, what did the study involving an animated underwater video demonstrate about cultural cognition?
  • A. American participants focused on the background, showing holistic thinking.
  • B. Japanese participants focused on the broader scene, demonstrating holistic thinking.
  • C. Japanese participants focused on specific details in the foreground, showing analytical thinking.
  • D. Both groups focused equally on the brightly colored fish, proving cognition is universal.
Question 4 of 7
How did the partnership between Howard Schultz and Howard Behar at Starbucks lead to the company's success?
  • A. They had complementary personalities that helped balance ambitious expansion with employee engagement.
  • B. They had complementary skillsets, with one being an engineer and the other a marketer.
  • C. They shared the exact same personality and leadership style, creating perfect unity.
  • D. They constantly competed with each other, driving the company forward through rivalry.
Question 5 of 7
What role does the 'synthesizer' play in a parallel trio, such as the one that invented the microprocessor at Intel?
  • A. They manage the project's budget and report to higher-ups.
  • B. They act as a silent observer who only steps in during emergencies.
  • C. They take credit for the team's work to protect the other two members.
  • D. They prevent one partner from dominating and ensure the trio's objectives are aligned.
Question 6 of 7
Why is a team size of five to nine members considered the most successful?
  • A. It is the exact number required by most corporate HR policies to secure funding.
  • B. It is large enough for an internal leader without redundancy, but small enough for personal engagement.
  • C. It guarantees that there will be no disagreements or cultural clashes among team members.
  • D. It matches the number of tasks in a standard modern project sprint.
Question 7 of 7
What does the book recommend a leader do on the very first day a new team gets to work?
  • A. Immediately assign the heaviest workload to test their resilience and work ethic.
  • B. Have members sign non-disclosure agreements before speaking to each other.
  • C. Hold a 'birthday' kickoff event to share stories, connect, and introduce team culture.
  • D. List the team's values and rules in a detailed bulleted slideshow presentation.

Team Genius — Full Chapter Overview

Team Genius Summary & Overview

Team Genius (2015) is a comprehensive guide to teamwork in business. These blinks explore the different forms of teamwork and how you can optimize your teams to keep them productive, motivated and innovative.

Who Should Listen to Team Genius?

  • Group leaders
  • Team builders and team players
  • Anyone interested in what makes a team work

About the Author: Rich Karlgaard and Michael S. Malone

Rich Karlgaard is the publisher of Forbes magazine, where he writes a featured column, covering business and leadership issues. He is a co-founder of Upside magazine, Garage Technology Partners as well as Silicon Valley's premier public business forum, the 7,500-member Churchill Club.

Michael S. Malone, the author of the bestsellers The Virtual Corporation, Bill & Dave and The Intel Trinity, is one of the world's best-known technology writers.

🎧
Listen in the AppOffline playback & background play
Get App