What kills teams and productivity?

What kills teams and productivity?
Anthony Dimitrokalis — November 5, 2025
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'He (the farmer) was a model for servant leadership, and he taught me that humility is a leadership strength, not a weakness.'
Bryce Hein • From Farm to Tech: Leadership Lessons from a Humble Farmer
−Ego
Summary
  • Ego quietly destroys teams by placing personal recognition above collective success. It creates silos, kills trust, stifles innovation, and leaves talented people feeling undervalued.
  • Addressing ego requires a deliberate culture of humility, openness, and mutual respect, the only proven path to sustained team cohesion and productivity.
Key findings from research[1,2,3]
  • Narcissistic CEOs build teams that serve their own ego rather than company goals, resulting in shorter executive tenure and fragmented leadership.[1]
  • Team-level narcissism lowers task performance and reduces helping behaviors over time.[2]
  • Workplace narcissism triggers aggression, deviance, plummeting morale, and higher turnover.[3]
References:
[1] In service of the CEO's ego
[2] The longitudinal influence of narcissism in the team context
[3] Toxic Ego: How workplace narcissism harms productivity and well-being
'Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change ... Humility allows us to embrace that discomfort.'
Brené Brown • Researcher, author, and speaker
−Change
Summary
  • Unmanaged change creates uncertainty, resistance, and stress.
  • Change needs clear comms, structured help, and proven models.
Key findings from research[1,2,3,4]
  • ADKAR, Kotter remain the most effective change frameworks.[1]
  • Downsizing and unclear transitions damage fairness perception.[2]
  • AI breeds mistrust; transparency/ethics are non-negotiable.[3]
  • In M&A, urgency and clarity prevent morale erosion.[4]
References:
[1] Comparison of Change Management Models and Suggestions for Top Management
[2] Organisational Change and Employee Health
[3] Confronting and alleviating AI resistance in the workplace
[4] Managing the Unfreezing Phase of Mergers and Acquisitions
−Burnout
Summary
  • Burnout spreads silently, increasing absenteeism, and turnover.
  • Prevention needs load control, and real recovery, for resilience.
Key findings from research[1,2,3,4]
  • High demands + low resources = burnout; learn to reverse it.[1]
  • Resource loss -> collapse; rest + mastery breaks the cycle.[2]
  • Fix the six mismatches. align them to prevent burnout.[3]
  • Experiential retreats beat regular leave: results in 72 hours.[4]
References:
[1] Job Demands–Resources Theory
[2] Conservation of Resources in the Organizational Context
[3] The Areas of Worklife Model
[4] Why Offsites Work — and How to Get the Most Out of Them
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Anthony Dimitrokalis
Founder, Syndesi and its subsidiaries
theworldcanbeyours.com

© 2026, Syndesi, All rights reserved
syndesi-international.com

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