The Edison Effect: Unlocking Team-Based Innovation

-- by Jamey Lutz

The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime. —Babe Ruth

Views of achievement in our formative years are largely based on an assumption that success is a solo pursuit. Grades, test scores, and personal accolades shape our early trajectory—from college admissions to career entry. Likewise, our individual performance within each of these postsecondary venues is a pivotal factor in determining our future job prospects.

But here’s the paradox: the moment we step into the world of full-time work, success becomes a team sport.

In his outstanding book Big Potential, author Shawn Achor says, “It is not until we enter the world of full-time job employment that our success becomes almost entirely interconnected with those we work with on a daily basis.” Achor points to emerging research suggesting nearly every element of human potential, from “intelligence to creativity to leadership to personality and engagement—is interconnected with others.”

We all desire to look back on our lives someday and know that we made a difference. We all want purpose and to be part of something bigger than ourselves. If this collective human yearning is legitimate, then Achor’s take on interconnectedness has massive implications. You may be an organizational rock star. You may be at the very top of your chosen profession. But even at your best, you will never come close to accomplishing what an impassioned group of individuals can do together.

In today’s knowledge economy, as organizations continue to increase in complexity, and the need to cooperate as a means of competitive advantage becomes a higher priority, more and more of our work is becoming team-based. According to extensive study data collected by researchers Adam Grant, Reb Rebele, and Rob Cross, time spent by managers and employees in collaborative versus individual activities has risen by more than 50 percent over the past two decades. The importance of cultivating our ability to work effectively within a cohesive framework cannot be overstated.

Success Is a Team Sport

Consider Thomas Edison, one of the greatest inventors of all time, who is credited with numerous nineteenth-century innovations like the phonograph, the incandescent light bulb, and the earliest motion picture camera. With 1,093 patents to his credit (more than anyone in American history), Edison was among the most famous people in the world by his mid-thirties. What historians are only now beginning to discover about Edison, however, was his masterful “ability to assemble teams and set up an organizational structure that fostered many people’s creativity.” This fact is significant because unlike many common portrayals of Edison as a virtuoso who effortlessly pumped out invention after invention in silent isolation, it appears much of Edison’s brilliance lay in driving the collective genius of his contemporaries. Growing evidence suggests that the vast majority of his inventions were a collaborative effort, with Edison masterfully tapping into the ecosystem of the team around him.

Exceptional teamwork doesn’t just drive results—it shapes culture. It’s culturally accretive, meaning it builds layer upon layer of trust, engagement, and shared purpose. When done right, it becomes the foundation of an irresistible corporate culture.

So whether you're leading a hospitality or healthcare brand, a startup, or a legacy institution, the ultimate question isn’t just “How good are your people?” It’s “How well do your people work together?”

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