The “Decoder Ring” Method for Building High-Performing, Autonomous Teams with Steve O’Brien of Syneos Health

Talent All-Stars

Mar 04, 2025•27 min•Ep. 21

--:--

Listen in podcast apps:

Listen to this episode in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episode description

Can you break traditional management structures and still drive exceptional results?

Steve O'Brien, SVP of People Solutions at Syneos Health, proves it's possible with his innovative "decoder ring" approach to talent leadership—managing 25 direct reports without a single scheduled one-on-one meeting.

In this episode, Steve explains how he balances efficiency with employee engagement, why decision-making should be pushed down to remove bottlenecks, and how psychological safety and autonomy drive performance.

Steve also talks about:

The 3 biggest priorities new leaders should tackle
Why some “creative tension” is healthy for talent teams
How to leverage quarterly performance reviews for big wins

Connect with Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevemobrien

Connect with us:

💻 All Episodes: TalentAllStars.com

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ziprecruiter/

💼 Dave’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davetravers/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziprecruiter

🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ziprecruiter

Enjoyed this episode? We’d be grateful for a rating or review on your favorite podcast app.

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android

Open in Metacast