G is for Group Dynamics: The Invisible Forces Driving Your Team.

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” Ryunosuke Satoro.

Research in small group psychology shows that teams evolve through stages, and interventions at the group level can dramatically improve effectiveness. Recent studies confirm that group dynamics are reciprocal and systemic.

Shared leadership strengthens trust and empowers formal leaders, while balancing vertical and shared leadership is essential for innovation and resilience. Moreover, group norms and leadership behaviour directly shape organisational productivity.

We worked with a C-suite team that was stuck in “pseudo-cohesion” - everyone got along, but nothing real was being said. By surfacing their group norms and introducing tension-resilient dialogue, they moved from politeness to performance.

Actionable Insight:

• Diagnose your team’s stage: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing. Are you stuck or in a rut?

  
  

• Use tools like the Team and Workplace Dynamics Inventory (TWDI) to assess team maturity. 

  
  

• Intervene at the system level - not just with individuals. Seek insight outside of the team about reputation and effectiveness.

Why it matters: Group dynamics are the heartbeat of team performance. When leaders understand them, they can lead transformation from the inside out.

Wheelan, S. A. (2005). Group processes: A developmental perspective. Allyn & Bacon. Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384–399.

Klasmeier, K. N., Güntner, A. V., & Schleu, J. E. (2025). Leadership dynamics in teams: The reciprocity of shared and empowering leadership. Journal of Business and Psychology, 40, 1171–1187.

Pearce, C. L., Van Knippenberg, D., & Van Ginkel, W. P. (2023). The trouble with teams… and team leadership: Toward a research agenda on the paradoxical nature and reciprocal dynamics of vertical and shared leadership. Academy of Management Collections, 2(3), 31–44.

Oyefusi, F. (2022). Team and group dynamics in organizations: Effect on productivity and performance. Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies, 10(1), 111–122