Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Most leaders think a simple “I’m sorry” is enough to repair broken trust. But you know that's not really enough. Real trust isn’t rebuilt with words—it’s rebuilt with actions. In this video, I break down the strategy behind how leaders can truly restore trust after a misstep. Because when trust is broken, you don’t just reset the relationship—you break the trust loop ...
Apr 14, 2025•7 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Most leaders know trust matters. But when it comes to actually building it on a team, too many well-intentioned leaders fall into the trap of personality tests, trust falls (yikes), and awkward icebreakers. Here's what they don't know: trust isn’t earned. It's reciprocated.. In this video, I break down the neuroscience of trust (yes, we’re talking oxytocin), how the “...
Mar 31, 2025•12 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Hiring for “culture fit” sounds great in theory. You want people who vibe with the team, align with the mission, and are just easy to work with. But in practice? It’s often a shortcut for hiring people who think, act, and look like the rest of the team. And that’s a problem—for innovation, for problem-solving, and for long-term success. In this video, we’re unpacking ...
Mar 17, 2025•7 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Are generational clashes at work really as big of a deal as people make them out to be? We’ve all heard the stereotypes—Millennials got participation trophies, Gen Z is lazy, Boomers are out of touch. And let’s be honest, Gen X…well, people just forget to mention Gen X. But what if I told you these so-called generational differences aren’t actually the problem? The re...
Mar 03, 2025•8 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Work-life balance sounds great in theory—keep work over here, life over there, and somehow balance it all so that everything runs smoothly. But here’s the truth: it doesn’t work. Work and life aren’t two separate spheres. They’re intertwined. And trying to keep them perfectly separate? Research shows that just creates more stress, drains your energy, and makes managin...
Feb 17, 2025•8 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast We've all been there—stuck in a meeting that feels like a complete waste of time, wondering, "Couldn't this have just been an email?" But here's the truth—not every meeting can be an email, and not every email should even be an email. There's a fine line between productive meetings and unnecessary ones, and the key is knowing how to tell the difference. In this video,...
Feb 03, 2025•7 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Are you constantly tired, overwhelmed, or feeling mentally drained?You might be suffering from "Decision Fatigue," a scientifically proven phenomenon that happens when your brain is overloaded by too many choices. As humans, we all make countless decisions every day. But as a manager, you know it's even more. In this video, I break down the neuroscience of decision fa...
Jan 20, 2025•8 min
Download my Best Team Ever PlayBook now! https://davidburkus.kit.com/playbook-yt Most of us think we’re good listeners—but the truth is, we’re just hearing. Listening isn’t just about nodding and making eye contact; it’s a skill that can be built and refined. And when done right, it’s a game-changer for trust, collaboration, and communication at work. In this video, I’ll introduce you to the REAL framework for active listening: Receive, Engage, Align, and Learn more. It’s a simple, memorable app...
Jan 06, 2025•7 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in the middle of every little issue on your team? Whether it’s two coworkers not getting along or someone not pulling their weight, somehow it always ends up on your plate. Sound familiar? In this video, I’m breaking down why that happens—and, more importantly, how you can fix it. Spoiler: great managers don’t solve every single prob...
Dec 23, 2024•8 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Ever struggled with quiet employees who seem disengaged? You’re not alone. As a leader, you might be wondering how to encourage them to share their ideas without making them feel awkward or pressured. In this video, I dive into practical tips and strategies to inspire your quieter team members to contribute meaningfully. Spoiler: it’s not about cold-calling them in me...
Dec 09, 2024•10 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast How do you resolve conflict on your team? Better yet—should you? In this video, I break down everything leaders need to know about team conflict, from handling personal clashes to harnessing task-focused disagreements for better results. Not all conflict is bad; in fact, the right kind of conflict can push your team toward innovation and success. I’ll teach you how to...
Nov 25, 2024•11 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Are you a leader or a manager? I get this question all the time and I’m finally breaking down the debate and why the distinction might not be as important as people think. We’re diving into what separates leaders from managers—and why the best bosses are a combination of both. I’ll share stories of famous leaders like Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, and cautionary tales like...
Nov 12, 2024•8 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast In the C-Suite, the name of the game is always treating customers first. But what if it was the employees that were the priority, and the customers came...second? In this video, I break down why putting employees first and customers second isn't just a bold strategy—it's backed by research and real-world results. We’ll dive into stories from companies like HCL Technol...
Oct 14, 2024•11 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Congratulations on your promotion to manager!...But now what Stepping into a management position for the first time can be both exciting and overwhelming. In this video, we’ll cover everything you need to know to thrive in your first week as a new manager. I’ll dive into why your initial focus should be on listening rather than making immediate changes—learning your t...
Sep 17, 2024•12 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Can artificial intelligence help you manage your team better? Can it help you become a better leader? AI is reshaping the workplace and managers can leverage it to enhance their leadership skills rather than just cutting costs. In this video, you'll learn about the current state of AI in the workforce and its potential impact on jobs, how AI can be used to supplement—...
Aug 14, 2024•12 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast What if I told you, instead of one performance review a year, you should just have 12 smaller ones throughout the year? Traditional performance reviews are outdated and a lot of companies have ditched them for more informal check-ins. As managers and leaders, it's part of our job to make sure the teams we run and the employees that work for us are set up for success a...
Jul 15, 2024•15 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast You can't "moneyball" your team. There’s a tendency to treat employee engagement like the score of a game, and so we shouldn’t be surprised when people try to game the system and improve the score. But the point of collecting all that data isn’t to learn how to improve a number, it’s to know where we need to pay more attention to our people and how we can help them fe...
May 16, 2024•10 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast The concept of a place to work with no bosses sounds great, right? Less oversight, more trust, more autonomy. But it doesn't have the greatest track record. And I don't totally agree with it. The role of a middle manager needs a refresh, not an elimination. Middle managers are the unsung heroes of organizations. But they need to be leaders, not just human project mana...
Apr 16, 2024•14 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast How do you make your team care about the work they are doing?If you’re asking that question as I just did, you’re in a lot of trouble. You’ve probably made some desperate attempts already. I promise, even if you think your team is doing the most boring work, turning numbers into different numbers on a computer screen, you can still inspire your team to feel something ...
Mar 18, 2024•17 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Struggling with a barely performing team despite their impressive resumes? I think I may know what be missing.Discover the power of building “common understanding” through empathy, drawing lessons from astronaut Chris Hadfield and research by Professor Anita Williams Woolley on collective intelligence. Micromanaging isn’t the answer, and don’t be tempted to do it. The...
Feb 15, 2024•14 min
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast I don’t think my team really trusts me enough to talk to me honestly….(sound like you?)Hate to say it, but you probably don’t have a lot of trust between you and your team. As a leader, you need to build trust by ultimately creating a psychologically safe culture (Hat tip: Amy C. Edmondson via Harvard Business School). Without trust, mistakes happen, deadlines are mis...
Jan 16, 2024•12 min
Conflict within a team is an inevitable part of any work environment. The diverse perspectives, ideas, and solutions that team members bring to the table can often lead to disagreements and conflicts. However, it's important to remember that team conflict isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it can be beneficial in many ways. It can help identify blind spots, explore different solutions, and find innovative ways to deliver on objectives. The key lies in managing these conflicts effectively. E...
Jan 02, 2024•10 min
It may seem like leaders need to have all the answers. Presumably, they became leaders by being smart, hardworking individual contributors who had the answers most of the time. But while knowing what to do is important, great leaders believe that knowing what questions to ask is even more vital. Especially when it comes to leading the team. Asking them the right questions instead of barking out the answers will lead to a higher performing team. In this article, we’ll outline 5 questions great le...
Dec 19, 2023•8 min
Teamwork is a constant in organizational life. You will work on teams for the majority of your career. Some of those teams will be an uplifting, engaging experience—but most will be an average or even a draining experience. Because most teams aren’t high-performing ones. Most teams fail to achieve a level of performance above the average of each individual’s capabilities. Most teams lack what Stephen Covey would call “synergy” but what organizational psychologists call “collective intelligence.”...
Dec 11, 2023•9 min
Teamwork is the secret that makes common people achieve uncommon results. However, effective teamwork doesn't just happen; it requires careful planning and implementation. This episode provides six tips for effective teamwork that will help you build a high-performing team. These tips are not just theoretical concepts, but practical strategies that have been proven to work in real-world settings. They are designed to address the common challenges that teams face, such as lack of clarity, poor co...
Dec 04, 2023•10 min
Great leaders aren’t born, they’re made. While it’s tempting to look at stories of great leaders and just assume they’re received some divine or genetic gift that turned them into exemplars, the truth is much more nuanced. Leadership is a skill that can be honed and improved with practice and the right guidance. This episode will explore three key habits that can significantly enhance your leadership skills: creating clarity, establishing safety, and speaking purpose. These habits are not just t...
Nov 20, 2023•7 min
Psychological safety is the bedrock of a high-performing team. It's more than just trust; it's about fostering a climate of mutual trust and respect. Building psychological safety at work is not a one-time event, but a continuous process that requires conscious effort and commitment. It's about creating an environment where everyone feels safe to take risks, voice their opinions, and be themselves without fear of judgment or punishment. It's about creating a culture of openness, transparency, an...
Nov 13, 2023•9 min
Every team leader knows the importance of keeping their team motivated. The more motivated your team, the more productive they are, and the better results they deliver. Research suggests that the more powerful form of motivation is intrinsic, flowing from an individual’s desire to do the work or achieve the outcome for their own reasons—not bonuses, awards, or other extrinsic motivators leaders often use. But that doesn’t mean leaders are out of options. While your team will still be best motiva...
Nov 06, 2023•8 min
Trust is the bedrock upon which successful teams are built. High-performing teams are characterized by an elevated level of trust. This trust in high performing teams manifests in four distinct ways: teams trust each other to deliver, they trust that they can share new ideas, they trust that they can disagree, and they trust that they can make mistakes. Each of these aspects of trust contributes to the overall success and productivity of the team. As a leader, it is your responsibility to set th...
Oct 30, 2023•11 min
Conflict on a team is inevitable. On diverse teams, where individuals come from varying backgrounds and possess differing opinions, those opinions will clash often in the form of disagreements and conflicts. Understanding the types of team conflict that can arise in a team setting is crucial for effective management and resolution. In this episode, we will delve into the four types of team conflict: relationship conflict, task conflict, status conflict, and process conflict. Each type of conflic...
Oct 23, 2023•13 min
