Organizations are often run according to “the superchicken model,” where the value is placed on star employees who outperform others. And yet, this isn’t what drives the most high-achieving teams. Business leader Margaret Heffernan observes that it is social cohesion “built every coffee break, every time one team member asks another for help” that leads over time to great results. It’s a radical rethink of what drives us to do our best work, and what it means to be a leader. Because as Heffernan points out: “Companies don’t have ideas. Only people do.”

By: Margaret Heffernan

This video is shared under a Creative Commons license (BY-NC-ND 4.0). Please visit Ted.com. This TED Talk originally appeared on TEDWomen 2015 in May 2015.