Building High Performance: What Great Teams Do Differently

What does high performance really look like, and how do you build it in the real world? 

This question came up in my conversation with Steve Tashjian, founder of the Elevation Project and former performance coach for Everton FC and the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team.

Steve’s work in elite sports gave him a front-row seat to what makes teams actually perform under pressure. And now, he’s bringing those lessons to the world of business, leadership, and beyond. He broke it down into four essential pillars of high-performance teams: alignment, empowerment, collaboration, and resilience.

We also got into the role of vulnerability in trust-building, how leaders can steer through change, and what it really takes to create a culture that wins, over and over again.

Whether you’re leading a startup team, managing a department, or simply looking to improve how your group operates, Steve’s insights are grounded, practical, and totally doable.

The Elevation Project

When Steve left the high-stakes world of professional sports, he found himself asking the kinds of questions many seasoned professionals eventually face: What’s next? Where can I make the biggest difference now?

That journey led him to create The Elevation Project, his way of sharing the deep wisdom he picked up from years of coaching high-level athletes and teams.

But this isn't about teaching businesses how to "win" in a sportsy way. Instead, Steve is focused on helping leaders build environments where people thrive, whether in sports, corporate offices, or even creative industries like the performing arts.

One of Steve’s superpowers is his ability to read a room. He can walk into an environment and instinctively spot what’s working, what’s holding people back, and what needs to shift for the team to elevate. That instinct, refined over years of work with elite performers, is now what he brings to organizations of all kinds.

What Does High Performance Look Like?

High performance isn’t just about chasing quick wins or flashy outcomes. It’s about building systems that support excellence and showing up every day to execute them with precision.

This isn’t reserved for world-class athletes or Fortune 500 CEOs. Whether you're leading a small team or a full department, the question remains: Are we consistently executing our process with excellence?

To get started, zoom out and ask: Are we a high-performing team? Then look closely at four key areas: alignment, empowerment, collaboration, and resilience.

1. Alignment

The first step in building high performance is identity. It’s not enough to align on what you’re doing. You need to align on why you’re doing it. 

Take a cue from brands like:

• LEGO: “To inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow.”

• Patagonia: “We're in business to save our home planet.”

Notice what’s missing? No mention of toys or jackets. Their identity is rooted in impact, not products.

The same thing happened when Steve worked with the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team. Coach Gregg Berhalter shifted their vision from “win games” to something bigger:
“Change the way the world views American soccer.” This new purpose created alignment from players to trainers, and made every role matter more.

When teams are clear on their mission, vision, and values, they’re more motivated and better equipped to handle challenges. 

Start with why. Build your team’s culture around your mission and values, and let every system and conversation support it.

2. Empowerment

One of the biggest bottlenecks in any organization is a rigid hierarchy. High-performing teams operate more like a team of teams, where the right person leads at the right time.

That’s what decentralized command looks like: empowerment that’s intentional, structured, and trust-based.

When roles are clear and accountability is shared, decision-making becomes faster and more effective. This is especially important for founders and leaders transitioning from “doing it all” to building a capable team.

To start, empower your team not by micromanaging, but by designing systems that let people lead from where they are.

3. Collaboration

If you want a high-performing team, collaboration is essential. But we’re not talking about surface-level teamwork. Real collaboration requires psychological safety, a culture where people feel safe enough to speak up, take risks, and challenge ideas without fear.

High-performance collaboration thrives on two core ingredients:

Connectedness – Whether it’s cross-functional or simply knowing your teammates have your back, connection builds belonging and confidence.

Willingness to take risks – True collaboration means letting go of control. It means asking questions, offering bold ideas, and being open to feedback, even when it's uncomfortable.

People who aren’t willing to be vulnerable often can’t collaborate effectively, and that’s especially visible in traditional, top-down org charts. In siloed environments, it’s easy to hide or defer responsibility to “the boss.”

But in cross-functional teams, where collaboration is built into the structure, hiding isn’t an option. Your expertise is needed. Your voice matters. And your decision carries real weight.

4. Resilience

High-performing teams are resilient. Resilience is the ability to adapt, pivot, and stay grounded, no matter how many curveballs get thrown your way.

In elite sports, the teams that thrived had a structure that allowed them to move fast, make smart decisions, and lean on expertise when it counted most.

Change Management

What sets resilient teams apart is how quickly they can adapt and realign, even in the middle of chaos. But sometimes change comes as a big shift, like new leadership or a new strategy. Other times, it’s the smaller, ongoing adjustments: new tools, fresh faces on the team, evolving customer needs.

Resilient teams don’t get thrown off course. They build habits and systems that help them stay steady and keep moving forward.

Conflict Management

Conflict is part of every team’s journey. But high-performing teams face it with curiosity, to understand. When people know how to handle disagreement, especially during times of change, they can talk things through. That means listening well, staying calm, and focusing on shared goals, even when tensions run high.

Some people adapt to change quickly. Others struggle. Resilient teams know how to hold space for both and come out stronger on the other side.

Key Takeaways

From elite athletes to executives, the principles of high-performance leadership stay the same. And thanks to Steve Tashjian’s insight and real-world experience, we have a roadmap for building stronger, faster, more connected teams, wherever we lead.

These are my three key takeaways from my conversation with Steve.

1. Confident leaders relentlessly execute proven processes.

High performance isn’t random. It’s built on proven processes, executed consistently, even under pressure. Leaders who trust the process, especially when things get tough, are the ones who rise above.

2. Confident leaders decentralize command to empower activity.

They remove bottlenecks, delegate authority, and trust their people. Empowerment isn’t about giving permission. It’s about designing systems where others can lead with confidence.

3. Confident leaders design for resilience before the storm hits.

They build resilience before it’s needed. Through diverse skills, open dialogue, and a flexible structure, they create cultures that not only survive change but thrive because of it.

My conversation with Steve was incredibly insightful. If you'd like a deeper dive, more real-world examples, and a bit of analysis on football teams, make sure you listen to the full podcast episode here: Secrets of High Performance Teams with Steve Tashjian

And don’t forget to share your thoughts and takeaways with us in the comments or on YouTube.