Mark Murphy / Leadership IQ Blog

The Responsible Man's Roundtable

Off The Back Burner

Signs A Company Is Planning Layoffs

Layoffs have become a pressing reality in recent years across multiple sectors. Headlines frequently announce mass layoffs across industries, and economic uncertainty has many firms tightening their belts. While some layoffs arise suddenly with little warning, more often the writing is on the wall months in advance.[1] Recognizing early warning signs can empower professionals and leaders to prepare and respond proactively.

Understanding The 5 Roles On Teams

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Psychological Safety at Work: A Comprehensive, Science-Backed Guide for Business Leaders

In this comprehensive guide, we'll dive deep into the science and practice of psychological safety. Backed by academic research and real-world examples, we will explore what psychological safety is, why it matters for group dynamics and team performance, how it reduces fear and encourages risk-taking, and how leaders can cultivate a psychologically safe work environment.

The Herding Effect: How Group Behavior Shapes Decision Making

Humans often pride themselves on independent thinking, yet time and again we observe people "following the herd" -- aligning their decisions with the majority or a few influential peers. This phenomenon, commonly called the herding effect (or herd behavior/mentality), occurs when individuals mimic the actions of a larger group instead of relying on their own judgment.

Effective Team Meetings

Meetings are ubiquitous in modern organisations. In 2025, the average professional attends at least 11 meetings per week, and executives report spending as much as 23 hours per week in meetings. While meetings can align teams, build relationships, and drive decisions, poorly run meetings waste resources and frustrate participants. Surveys reveal that around 35% of meetings are considered a waste of time and 67% of executives deem meetings failures. The economic impact is staggering: ineffective meetings cost businesses US $399 billion annually in the United States and £58 billion in the United Kingdom. Given these costs, effective team meetings are essential for organisational success.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Teamwork

Teamwork is a pervasive feature of modern organizations. According to organisational psychologists, a team is more than a group of people—it is a small, interdependent unit with a common goal and complementary roles. Teams provide the backbone for product development, service delivery, innovation projects and strategic planning.

Cultivating a Teamwork Mindset

In an era of accelerating change and digital disruption, long-term business success depends on more than individual talent. It requires a teamwork mindset—a shared way of thinking where employees view their efforts as interdependent, embrace collective responsibility and continually adapt to challenges together. The teamwork mentality differs from superficial team building because it embeds a collaborative spirit into how people perceive problems, share information and make decisions.