Your team didn’t overlook your message — the existing system created a safer alternative that took priority.
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The authors adapted the Big Five personality test to help teams understand personality preferences and improve collaboration. They tested this approach with over 600 teams at IMD leadership programs and with 100 senior executive teams across Europe, Asia, and the US.
Medita Holdings’ executive team struggled with indecision and unfocused discussions despite seeming engaged. Their shared trait of strong intellectual curiosity led to unproductive debates and difficulty in prioritizing. The approach uses personality assessments as a diagnostic tool to foster open dialogue about team dynamics, encouraging members to understand and value their differences.
By plotting personality scores like constellations, teams visualize their collective traits—"team DNA"—that reveal both risks and benefits. Three key patterns can trap teams: like-mindedness causing blind spots, polarized traits that generate tension, and outliers whose unique profiles may be ignored or control group dynamics. Addressing these insights led to improvements such as assigning a "focus keeper" to keep discussions on track and restructuring teams to incorporate diverse perspectives.
Facilitated workshops on personality foster safe, productive conversations that promote self-awareness and mutual respect. Teams can preempt dysfunction or accelerate cohesion by sharing and discussing their profiles. The Big Five's open-access International Personality Item Pool makes this practical even without certified facilitators. Ultimately, understanding personality differences depersonalizes conflicts and enhances appreciation of each member’s strengths, enabling better teamwork and decision-making.
Business leaders must follow essential steps to successfully integrate AI into their operations and achieve meaningful results.
Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan, shared that when considering candidates for major leadership roles, he pays close attention to one critical trait that often spells trouble for leaders.
New processes often seem promising at first but fail during execution because teams revert to familiar habits, seeking comfort in the known rather than embracing change. Understanding this hesitation is key to guiding successful transformation.
Peter Pronovost, Justin Norden, and Kedar Mate emphasize that senior leaders must take daily responsibility for AI governance in hospitals rather than leaving it to a technology committee that meets infrequently.
Meta has announced the appointment of Assaf Keren as its new chief information security officer, following the departure of Guy Rosen in June after 13 years with the company. Keren brings extensive experience from his recent role as chief security officer at Qualtrics, where he worked for two years, as well as his prior position in the same role at PayPal.
Erik Brynjolfsson challenges the common question about AI's impact by urging us to focus on how we use AI rather than what AI will do to us. In a conversation on "Me, Myself, and AI," Brynjolfsson, a leading economist at Stanford, discusses the critical role human choices, institutions, and organizations play in shaping AI's economic and social impact. He reflects on his earlier predictions about AI progress, the complexities behind AI adoption, and the importance of investment in complementary assets like new skills and business models. Brynjolfsson highlights recent research showing that AI's impact on jobs varies significantly by age and occupation, emphasizing the need to think beyond job automation to the creation of new opportunities. He advocates for mindful optimism, stressing human agency and values in directing AI's development toward economic growth and shared prosperity. The conversation covers the challenges of measuring AI's benefits, the J-curve effect in productivity adoption, and the balance between academic and industry roles in AI innovation. Brynjolfsson calls for active engagement from all stakeholders to navigate AI's transformative potential responsibly.
Presented by Atlassian
Many companies are approaching AI adoption incorrectly by focusing on individual use rather than how teams collaborate, explains Dr. Molly Sands, head of Atlassian's Teamwork Lab, in a discussion at VB Transform 2026. Sands' team of behavioral scientists studies how AI reshapes teamwork and assists organizations in redesigning their workflows.
Atlassian’s State of Teams Report, surveying 12,000 knowledge workers and Fortune 1000 executives, reveals a gap between AI activity and tangible value. While 89% of executives noted increased individual AI use, only 6% could identify clear ROI. In contrast, 14% of teams successfully turned AI usage into real value by focusing on context, workflows, and culture.
Successful teams create a "context graph" capturing shared goals and decisions, redesign entire workflows rather than speeding isolated tasks, and foster a culture of experimentation and learning. Sands encourages leaders to implement AI working agreements to align team AI use and avoid fragmented knowledge. Ultimately, AI exposes longstanding teamwork challenges, emphasizing the need for shared context and explicit workflows.
With Andy Burnham stepping into his role as the UK's prime minister, the spotlight is on his groundbreaking cabinet formation, featuring AI as a dedicated cabinet member for the very first time.
