You Can’t Build a Thriving Team Without Facing These 3 Tough Truths
With the launch of my new book Thriving Teams: When Teams Unite, Align and Achieve just around the corner, I’ve been reflecting on the biggest myths that hold teams back and the truths leaders need to embrace if they want to create a culture that is genuinely collaborative, accountable and energised.
Thriving teams don’t emerge from vision statements or strategy documents alone. They are built with intention, consistency and at times, discomfort. If you’re serious about creating a team that is connected, aligned and high performing, these are the three truths you need to face.
Thriving Teams: When Teams Unite, Align and Achieve book official unboxing
Teamwork doesn’t happen without tension and healthy debate
Too often, we mistake harmony for effectiveness. But avoiding conflict does not create alignment. It creates stagnation. Thriving teams need room for robust, respectful dialogue. They need psychological safety to disagree, challenge each other and speak up. In Thriving Teams, I talk about the importance of balancing challenge with support. Without challenge, teams become complacent. Without support, they become fractured. When we embrace healthy tension as a source of growth rather than a threat, we unlock new levels of innovation, clarity and ownership.
Accountability creates a ripple effect across the whole team
One of the clearest signs of a high-performing team is whether people follow through on what they say they’ll do. That starts with leaders modelling consistent, values-based accountability. In the book, I introduce the concept of the ripple of accountability. When one person is unclear or inconsistent, the ripple spreads. Standards slip, trust erodes and energy drops. But when expectations are clearly set, when progress is followed up, and when outcomes are shared, that ripple becomes a force that lifts everyone. Accountability is not just about performance. It is about clarity.
Connection is not optional. You need to be intentional
Connection is the heartbeat of any thriving team. It does not happen by default. It happens when leaders create the conditions for it. That means checking in not just on projects, but on people. It means celebrating small wins, noticing when someone is struggling and creating moments of meaning even during busy times. In Thriving Teams, I highlight how intentional connection creates a sense of belonging, and belonging fuels performance. A connected team shows up differently. They lean in, speak up and support one another.
If these truths feel challenging, you are not alone. Most leaders were not taught how to build teams this way. That is exactly why I wrote Thriving Teams. It bridges the gap between leadership theory and everyday practice, offering simple tools that can transform how your team works together.
The book launches next week. I cannot wait to share it with you.
Virtual Book Launch | Wednesday, 12 November 2025 | 12.00–12.45pm AEDT
Thriving Teams: When Teams Unite, Align & Achieve
Early Bird Offer: Thriving Teams – When Teams Unite, Align & Achieve
Be among the first to grab your copy of Thriving Teams, the new book by Claire Gray, author of Thriving Leaders.
P.S. If you’d like to create a thriving team within your organisation, here are some ways we can work together:
Thriving Teams workshops for your whole team to drive cohesion to achieve exceptional business results.
Keynote on how to build a thriving team.
Read Thriving Leaders: Learn the Skills to Lead Confidently, you can purchase it here.
If you’d like to chat, please book some time in my calendar.
