HBR IdeaCast What Sets Superteams Apart from the Rest
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Apr 21, 2026 
Ron Friedman, a social psychologist and founder focused on high-performing teams, explores what makes superteams click. He talks about why experimentation beats perfection. How better questions uncover roadblocks. Why feedback should be frequent and future-focused. Plus, how cutting meetings, protecting focus time, and building belonging help teams keep improving.
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Make Risky Learning Safer Than Playing It Safe
- Normalize mistakes so people take risks instead of mistaking perfect execution for strong performance.
- Reid Hoffman wanted LinkedIn teams to fail 15% of the time, and Reed Hastings treated too many successful shows as a warning sign.
Ask What Are You Stuck On In Meetings
- Ask what people are stuck on in meetings to surface obstacles and turn status updates into collaborative problem solving.
- The question makes challenge feel normal, so teammates jump in early instead of hiding issues until later.
Peer Feedback Beats Top Down Reviews
- Superteams improve faster because feedback is constant, motivating, and sought from peers before work reaches the boss or client.
- Effective feedback focuses on what to change next rather than blame for what went wrong.
