Why Your Smartest Investment Might Be Your Team’s Mental Fitness
If you’ve ever walked into a team meeting and felt the collective IQ drop 20 points due to stress, egos, or unspoken turf wars—congrats! You’re not alone.Teams are messy. They’re also your greatest untapped asset.
We talk a lot about strategy, KPIs, and market share. But here’s the quieter truth: your team’s “Positive Intelligence” (PQ) may be the key to outperforming your competitors—and sleeping better at night.
What Is Positive Intelligence (PQ), Anyway?
Coined by Shirzad Chamine, Positive Intelligence refers to the ratio of time your mind is serving you (your “Sage”) versus sabotaging you (those inner critics we all host rent-free—like the Stickler, Controller, or Avoider). When applied to teams, PQ isn’t about cheerleading or group hugs. It’s about building mental fitness so your people can shift from fear and reactivity to creativity and clarity.
In simple terms: higher PQ = less drama, better decisions.
The Research: Brains, Behavior, and Bottom Lines
Let’s get to the evidence—because we know you’re not investing in “vibes.”
According to Chamine’s 500,000-person study and fMRI-based research:
Teams with high collective PQ show 31% higher productivity,
37% better sales performance,
3x higher creativity,
and significantly less burnout.
Not fluffy stats. Real outcomes.
Combine this with what Google’s Project Aristotle discovered: the most successful teams share one key trait—psychological safety. That’s exactly what grows when team PQ increases. People feel safe to speak up, take risks, and challenge ideas without fear of punishment. (Imagine your next leadership meeting with less defensiveness and more curiosity. Revolutionary.)
From Dysfunction to Peak Performance: How Teams Develop
Patrick Lencioni laid it out beautifully in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team—most teams struggle not because of skill deficits, but because of unaddressed trust issues, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, and avoidance of accountability. PQ training addresses these root issues, not just the symptoms.
Here’s how it works:
Mental fitness training (PQ reps) helps individuals recognize their “Saboteurs” in real-time.
Team reflection sessions build empathy, transparency, and shared language for resolving tension.
As PQ rises, teams become more agile, collaborative, and mission-focused.
Why Bother? (Especially When You’re Already Swamped)
Because investing in team PQ is like tuning up the engine rather than pushing a broken-down car uphill.
Sure, it takes time upfront—usually 6–8 weeks of focused training—but the payoff is exponential. Fewer sideways conversations. Shorter meetings. Faster conflict resolution. More ownership. Higher resilience.
Plus, let’s be honest: happy, healthy humans tend to stick around longer, collaborate better, and sue you less.
Closing Thought: Sanity Is a Strategy
Executive life is stressful enough. Leading a high-stakes team shouldn’t feel like refereeing a family reunion during tax season.
When you help your team build mental fitness, you’re not just getting a stronger team. You’re buying yourself clarity, alignment, and actual progress.
And if that’s not worth the investment, I don’t know what is.
Assess Your Team’s PQ
If you’re ready to improve the performance of your team through Positive Intelligence, check out the assessment below as a simple way to explore your team’s current state.
🧠 Quick Team PQ Self-Assessment
Rate your team on a scale from 1 (Rarely) to 5 (Consistently)
We bounce back quickly from setbacks or mistakes.
We give each other the benefit of the doubt, even under pressure.
We surface conflict directly—and handle it constructively.
We spend more time in creative problem-solving than in blame or rehashing.
We feel energized, not drained, after team meetings.
Scoring Guide:
20–25: High PQ team – You’re the Navy SEALs of collaboration. Keep it up!
15–19: Moderate PQ – Strong potential, but stress may be hijacking your best thinking.
10–14: Low PQ – Mental saboteurs are running the show. Time for a team tune-up.
Below 10: Emergency! Your team might look good on paper, but under the surface… cue the Jaws theme.
Many executives I’ve worked with enjoy playing golf.
Each of them understands that, under pressure, particularly competitive pressure, golfers have mental cracks that cause poor performance
In winning the Masters this year, Rory McIlroy both showed these cracks on the final day and overcame them
Why is it hard to embrace the same idea at work? Elaine, I’m so thankful you helped me see this.