How Great Teams Leverage Tension as a Source of Innovation: Daniel Coyle (Replay)

Tension on your team isn’t always a problem to solve. In fact, it’s often a signal you’re doing meaningful work.

In this replay episode, bestselling author Daniel Coyle (The Culture Code) shares how the most successful teams channel friction into forward motion, instead of avoiding it. Drawing on research and real-world examples from places like Pixar, the Navy SEALs, and professional sports, Daniel breaks down how tension can become a powerful source of energy, learning, and innovation.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why conflict and disagreement are essential for high-performing teams
• The key moments that shape team culture early on
• How vulnerability builds trust (and why leaders need to go first)
• A simple framework for turning tension into productive experimentation
• How storytelling helps reinforce and scale strong team behaviors

This episode offers practical ways to rethink how your team approaches friction. If this topic resonates, explore more episodes on healthy friction and creative tension with guests like Ben Swire, Mike Peng, Heather Currier Hunt, Takashi Wickes, and Bob Sutton.

Related resources:

The Culture Code, by Daniel Coyle: https://danielcoyle.com/the-culture-code/ 

Cultivating Creative Collaboration online course with IDEO U, taught by IDEO CEO Mike Peng: https://www.ideou.com/products/cultivating-creative-collaboration 

Read the episode recap on the IDEO U blog: https://www.ideou.com/blogs/inspiration/how-great-teams-leverage-tension-as-a-source-for-innovation

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