Over several decades, Jon Katzenbach has developed a world-class perspective on team development and performance. After reading his book, The Wisdom of Teams, I was anxious to see how his perspective had evolved with Teams at the Top. What caught my eye was the subtitle, “Unleashing the Potential of Both Teams and Individual Leaders.” In my experience, there has always been a tension between what is good for the team and what is good for the individual leader. In this book, Jon took that duality head-on. If you read nothing else in this book, read the Introduction, “The Spirit of Haida Gwaii”, pages 1-17.

Also, if you are ever in Washington, D.C., with some free time, swing by the Canadian Embassy and see the Spirit of Haida Gwaii sculpture by Bill Reid. It will visually bring Jon’s work to life.

During my tenure as CEO, Jon shared his work with my Campbell CEO Institute and in other Campbell forums as well. To my mind, he is the go-to person to consult on team development.

– D. R. Conant