Teams often mistake compromise for collaboration, leading to average outcomes. True collaboration requires balancing high assertiveness (people speaking their mind directly) with high cooperativeness (openly listening to others). It is not about meeting in the middle.

In fast-paced settings like professional basketball, verbal communication is too slow. Teams develop a shorthand of non-verbal cues and pre-agreed symbols to communicate complex ideas instantly, fostering the chemistry required for high performance. This model applies to any high-pressure professional environment.

Research cited in the book "PQ" reveals that the strongest predictor of a team's performance isn't leadership or strategy, but its collective "Positivity Quotient" (PQ)—the ratio of positive to total thoughts among its members. A high PQ is directly correlated with high productivity.

Jacob Collier explains that beautiful music relies on controlling dissonance (tension), not just playing pleasant notes (consonance). This applies to teams: leaning into creative tension and resolving it leads to a more meaningful outcome than avoiding disagreement altogether.

A lesson from jazz improvisation is to listen on two channels simultaneously: keep "one ear on your head" (your own thoughts) and put "the other ear over on the piano" (the group). This means paying attention not just to the person speaking, but to the entire "ensemble" of group communication and dynamics.

Musician Jacob Collier evaluates groups on a 'supple vs. brittle' axis. Supple groups adapt to unexpected events, while brittle ones resist and snap under pressure. Leaders must create psychological safety that enables teams to embrace spontaneity rather than tightening up.

To break down silos, leaders should encourage teams to "move as a group." This means using shared, informal communication channels like group texts to brainstorm and tackle challenges collectively in real-time, rather than having individual members work in isolation.

The traditional "assembly line" model of product development (PM -> Design -> Eng) fails with AI. Instead, teams must operate like a "jazz band," where roles are fluid, members "riff" off each other's work, and territorialism is a failure mode. PMs might code and designers might write specs.

Research shows task performance peaks in groups of three to seven people. However, team members themselves feel groups are "just right" when they have four or five members. This provides a clear, data-backed guideline for composing effective teams and avoiding oversized, unproductive meetings.