麦肯锡-从最差到最差：建立或重塑世界级团队需要什么（英）

August 2025Transformation PracticeWorst to first: What it takes to build or remake a world-class teamThe winningest coaches, athletic directors, and administrators follow a few core principles to set uncompromising standards and build elite organizations. Here’s how C-suite leaders can do the same.by Kevin Carmody, Mark Hojnacki, and Rick Goldwith Shayne SkovBuilding a team is hard; building a winning team is even harder. For every organization that manages to achieve the right mix of talent, culture, and performance expectations, many more find themselves lacking in one area or another. Consider the following cautionary tales. One team of “superstars” in a large technology organization failed to gel simply because they could not agree on working norms. Another high-performing group underachieved because the executive team and line managers had very different views of their roles: Executives were frustrated by line managers’ hesitancy to make and own critical decisions, while the line managers were afraid to be labeled as failures by these same executives if their moves deviated too far from the status quo. Both sides pointed fingers at each other when outcomes failed to meet expectations.What does it take to avoid these traps? What differentiates the teams that are operating at the pinnacle in their fields from those that are lagging behind? What skills, mindsets, and behaviors do high-performing teams have that others don’t? How do these high-performing teams stay in sync? And how do they sustain their collective focus over time, even when the work is hard?We set out to answer these and other questions by turning to what some business leaders might consider an unconventional source: more than 25 of the most ambitious and successful administrators, coaches, and players at athletic programs across the United States, both at the professional and Division I college levels (see sidebar, “Conversations with coaches and others”).Conversations with coaches and othersBetween February and July 2025, we reached out to more than 25 athletes, coaches, general managers, trainers, and other critical contributors to successful professional and Division I sports programs. They shared perspectives on how to set and maintain the right standards for teams and organizations, engender diversity in both personnel and thought, create a clear and compelling operating playbook, and embed resilience in teams and organizations. We’d like to thank the following athletes and leaders in particular for their insights: — Amir Carlisle, director of player development, University of Notre Dame (football) — Amy Trask, former president and CEO, 1997–2013, Oakland Raiders — Brian Wright, general manager, San Antonio Spurs — Carlos Knox, director of player development, University of Notre Dame (women’s basketball); former interim head coach and assistant coach, Indiana Fever — Dan Bartholomae, vice president and director of athletics, Western Michigan University — Donaven Tennyson,