X-teams

Teams that spend all their energy inward tend to miss what is changing outside, and Deborah Ancona and Henrik Bresman built their model around the opposite habit. An X-team works outward as much as inward, scouting for information beyond its own boundary, building support with stakeholders elsewhere in the organisation, and shifting leadership among members as the work demands. This revised edition sets out the parts of that approach, how a team moves between stretches of exploration and stretches of delivery, and where conventional team-building advice falls short. Research findings sit next to company examples and frameworks that carry across industries. Practical details: • A revised and updated edition of the authors' team research • The case for teams that look outward to stakeholders and customers • Movement between external scouting, focused execution and handover • Shared leadership and adaptability treated as design choices Published by Harvard Business Review Press for managers, executives and team leads shopping at Boipoka.