Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances by Richard Hackman
Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances is Richard Hackman’s book on creating the conditions that help work teams manage themselves and perform effectively. It presents a five-condition framework for leaders, using examples including orchestras and airline cockpit crews.
At a glance
- Explains five conditions associated with effective teams: stability, clear direction, enabling structure, organisational support and competent coaching.
- Offers a framework intended to be adapted to each group rather than a single leadership formula.
- Uses examples from settings including orchestras and airline cockpit crews.
Reference price: $62.99
Price checked: 14 Nov 2026
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Pros and cons
Pros
- The five-condition framework gives readers distinct areas to consider when setting up or supporting a team.
- The described approach focuses on enabling teams to manage themselves, rather than prescribing one leadership style.
- Customer feedback describes the content as informative and research-based, with examples.
Technical specifications
10 specifications| Author | Richard Hackman |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Harvard Business Review Press |
| Publication date | 10 July 2002 |
| Edition | 1st |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 336 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1578513332 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1578513338 |
| Weight listed | 658 g |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 15.49 x 3.56 x 23.62 cm |
What to know before buying
- The publisher’s description presents the five conditions as increasing the likelihood of team success, not as a guarantee of results.
Who is it for?
A good fit for
- Team leaders looking for a structured way to assess the conditions around their teams.
- Managers and organisational practitioners interested in research-informed approaches to teamwork.
- Readers seeking examples and principles rather than one prescribed leadership style.
Customer reviews on Amazon
- 5 stars
74% 74% - 4 stars
13% 13% - 3 stars
11% 11% - 2 stars
1% 1% - 1 star
1% 1%
Customer feedback highlights the book’s discussion of teamwork and describes its content as informative, research-based and supported by examples. This may be useful to readers wanting a considered framework rather than a quick formula. The aggregate ratings are generally favourable, though they do not establish which particular ideas readers valued or identify specific drawbacks.
Positive themes
- Customer feedback describes the content as informative and well-researched.
- Readers are reported to value the book’s treatment of teamwork and its examples.
Frequently asked questions
What is Leading Teams about?
It explains conditions that can support team effectiveness, including a stable team, clear direction, enabling structure, organisational support and competent coaching.
Does the book prescribe one leadership style?
No. Its description says the principles are intended to be applied to each group’s situation in the leader’s own way.
Who may find this book useful?
Leaders and managers seeking a framework for shaping team conditions, as well as readers interested in organisational behaviour and teamwork.
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