For decades, productivity was measured by output: how fast, how much, how efficient. But in today’s innovation economy, where creativity, adaptability, and emotional intelligence reign, the old scorecard no longer applies. In fact, it’s becoming a liability.
The Gallup State of the Global Workplace 2025 report underscores this shift: global engagement is down, manager burnout is up, and productivity is slipping across sectors. To reverse the trend, we don’t just need harder work — we need healthier, more connected, more human teams.
That’s where play comes in.
Productivity Reimagined: Play as Performance Fuel
At LEAD3R, we believe that teaming is not a noun. It’s a verb. It’s not something you have; it’s something you do. Great teams aren’t defined by org charts or project trackers. They’re built through deliberate acts of collaboration, trust, and shared momentum — many of which are sparked through purposeful play.
When teams play, they’re not stepping away from work, they’re stepping into teaming. In play, we test boundaries, learn how others think, and connect across roles and rhythms. Neuroscience backs this up: play activates the prefrontal cortex, enhances creativity, and deepens psychological safety, one of the strongest predictors of team performance (Edmondson, HBR).
And in today’s world of volatility and burnout, this isn’t optional. It’s essential.
Healthy Teams Are Built, Not Hired
Healthy teams aren’t just high performing. They’re energy-restoring, resilient, and aligned around a shared sense of purpose. According to LEAD3R’s Healthy Team Framework, healthy teams are defined by four Cs: competence, confidence, commitment, and camaraderie. They don’t just succeed, they uplift every member and create the conditions for sustained excellence.
As the State of the Global Workplace 2025 reveals, only 21% of employees globally are engaged, and for managers, the decline is steeper still. The solution? Rebuild trust, re-recruit each other daily, and redesign teaming as an act of shared learning and growth.
Enter the Healthy Team Summit
That’s why we created the Healthy Team Summit — a bold, immersive experience for teams to roll up their sleeves, strengthen their rhythm, and reignite their impact.
October 21, 2025 | Boston, MA
Less like a conference, more like a team intervention, the Summit combines neuroscience, research, and experiential learning to help teams:
- Build trust and psychological safety
- Practice real-time teaming
- Rewire how they work, relate, and perform … together
Summit Highlights Include:
Keynotes + Inspiration Doses
With voices like Admiral John Richardson (former U.S. Chief of Naval Operations) and Maggie Jackson (author of Distracted and Uncertain), your team will be exposed to world-class insights on leadership, attention, and resilience.
Real-Time Collaboration Labs
From the “Either/Or” Human Survey to Napkin Pitches + Team SharkTank, every activity is designed to create shared meaning and spark collective momentum.
The Healthy Teams Playground
This activation space blends purposeful play with performance insights.
Featuring:
- Arist: Bite-sized microlearning for reflective growth
- Aktivo Labs: Wellbeing data in motion
- The LEAD3R Lounge + 36 Questions for deep team connection
- The Human Library, where attendees “check out” real people for immersive conversations on identity and experience.
- Mystery Trip Minute to Win It, a playful team challenge designed to unlock creativity under pressure.
Optional Pre-Day for Team Leaders
October 20, 2025 | The Team Leader Accelerator
This pre-summit intensive is for team leaders ready to go deeper by exploring personal values, storytelling, psychological safety, and leading change. It’s fast-paced, immersive, and tailored for today’s leadership challenges.
Why Now?
Because team health isn’t just about wellbeing. It’s about results.
The 2025 Gallup report estimates a $9.6 trillion productivity gain if the world’s teams were fully engaged. And that engagement begins with healthy teams — teams that know how to learn, lead, and yes, play.
As Dr. André Martin puts it: “Play is not the enemy of work. It’s the fuel for the kind of work the future demands.”
Ready to Redefine What Performance Feels Like?
If your team is stuck, stressed, or simply seeking that next level of impact, the Healthy Team Summit is your moment.
It’s time to stop working in the team and start working on it.
Sources & Further Reading
- Amy Edmondson: Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy
- Gallup (2025), State of the Global Workplace Report
- Maggie Jackson, Uncertain and Distracted
- Dr. André Martin, Wrong Fit, Right Fit
Relevant The Future of Teamwork Podcast Episodes
Episode 55: Finding Wonder and Transforming Work into an Experimental Playground with Colin Hunter
Dane Groeneveld speaks with Colin Hunter, CEO of Potential Squared and author of Be More Wrong, about how embracing mistakes and “dancing with the music they bring you” can fuel team growth. Their conversation explores immersive learning, design thinking, feedback loops, and building psychological safety through daily habits and team development.
Episode 84: Harnessing Team Power and Creative Energy in the Workplace with Dr. André Martin
Dane Groeneveld talks with Dr. André Martin—organizational psychologist, author, and culture strategist—about what makes teams thrive. They explore how self-awareness, cultural fit, and integrated wellness drive high-energy workplaces, and why re-recruiting team members through alignment and purpose is key to sustained success.
Episode 131: How Uncertainty Improves Teamwork with Maggie Jackson
Dane Groeneveld sits down with Maggie Jackson, author of Uncertain, to explore how embracing not knowing can strengthen leadership, collaboration, and connection. They discuss why uncertainty isn’t a weakness, but a powerful space for deeper thinking, better questions, and more meaningful teamwork.
Episode 143: From Burnout to Storytelling in High-Performing Teams with Tony Martignetti
Dane Groeneveld talks with Tony Martignetti, leadership coach and author, about his journey from biotech finance to purpose-driven leadership. They explore how storytelling, rituals, and play can foster authentic connection and meaning within teams — especially for leaders seeking to re-engage and inspire their people.
Episode 145: How Teams Learn, Lead, and Celebrate Success with Leo Bottary of Peernovation
Dane Groeneveld reconnects with Leo Bottary to explore the updated edition of Peernovation and what drives high-performing teams. Drawing on his work with over 800 groups, Leo shares insights on continuous improvement, the Servant Leadership Triad, and creating a culture where people feel valued, supported, and inspired to excel.
