Hybrid work, leadership fatigue, and rising expectations around trust and wellbeing have changed what it means to lead and belong at work. In 2026, building a strong team is no longer about individual performance alone and rather, it’s about connection, safety, and collective clarity.

We speak with Dr. Jamie Shapiro, Founder and CEO of Connected EC, organisational psychologist, CEO coach, and author of Connected Culture, about what it really takes to build thriving teams in today’s workplace.

Dr. Shapiro discusses why high performers don’t automatically become high-performing teams, what psychological safety truly looks like at leadership level, and how organisations can diagnose and strengthen team cohesion.

Drawing on her signature 5Cs Model, this conversation explores how modern leaders can move beyond burnout, silos, and surface-level engagement to build cultures that sustain performance, trust, and growth.

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