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If you watched the early days of Saturday Night Live, you probably remember Chevy Chase as one of its breakout stars whose talent was undeniable. But behind the scenes, his reputation for burning bridges became just as well known.
 
 

If you follow the NBA, you may have heard recent chatter around Giannis Antetokounmpo and questions about leadership and locker room chemistry with the Milwaukee Bucks.
 
 

They’re different cases, but both point to the same uncomfortable truth: individual brilliance doesn’t always translate into being a great teammate.
 
 

So what does?
 
 

That’s the question social psychologist and behaviour change expert Ron Friedman set out to answer in his upcoming book Superteams: The Science and Secrets of High-Performing Teams.
 
 
 

Mr. Friedman conducted what he describes as the most comprehensive study of elite teams ever performed, surveying more than 6,000 workers across industries including the NFL, technology and television, analyzing more than 100,000 data points.
 
 

As part of the research, he asked workers to describe their best-ever colleague and then identified the traits people most often associated with their teammates. What he found challenges conventional wisdom.
 
 

Traits we tend to value – being caring, a good listener or even funny – ranked near the bottom of the list.
 
 

“Each of these traits can make work relationships more pleasant,” Mr. Friedman writes. “But they don’t necessarily move you or your team any closer to accomplishing tasks or achieving goals.”
 
 

Instead, three characteristics consistently rose to the top:
 
 
  1. Knowledgeable: “Knowledgeable teammates don’t just carry their weight – they lift the whole team. They spot problems early, share shortcuts and often serve as informal coaches,” he writes. Importantly, this isn’t about credentials. The strongest contributors demonstrate competence through their work.
  2. Dependable: Reliability might sound basic, but its impact is profound. “That reliability creates momentum. It frees up mental space. It allows teams to move quickly because the foundation is solid,” he writes. In practice, that means consistently following through, keeping commitments and proactively stepping in where work is falling short.
  3. Strong communicator: “Listening helps people feel heard. But great communicators go a step further,” he writes. This includes important tasks such as guiding conversations and clarifying decisions so the team stays on track.
 
 

The broader takeaway from Mr. Friedman’s research is worth sitting with. High-performing teams aren’t built on personality traits or charisma, they’re built on habits and skills anyone can build up.
 
 

And while some of these skills may come more naturally to certain people, they aren’t fixed traits reserved for a select few. They can be learned, practiced and strengthened over time. Whether it’s becoming more reliable in small moments, sharpening how you communicate or stepping up to support your team in new ways, these are muscles that grow with intention.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

36.2
 
 

That’s the percentage of Canadian workers who put in six or more unpaid hours each week, according to ADP Research.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Thinking of getting a career coach? Before you make the investment, try using AI. It’s available around the clock, you can customize the sessions and you can even speak directly to some models instead of typing things out.

 
 

Start by picking the right model: ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are all recommended for coaching, but each has its own strength. Then, prepare a set of instructions that include things like who you are and what you want from your coach. Lastly, start interacting with your coach and provide feedback so it gets better over time.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

“Instead of trying to build a flawless definition of a Canadian company, Canada should flip it around: a Canadian company is not a firm that is majority controlled by a foreign parent or foreign government. At a minimum, foreign subsidiaries should not be able to pass themselves off as “Canadian” companies for the purposes of public funding, procurement or strategic industrial policy,” writes Vass Bednar and David Corbett.

 
 

This article in The Walrus explores the rise of “maplewashing,” where loose definitions of “Canadian” make it easy for foreign-owned companies to qualify as domestic, misleading consumers and misdirecting public funds.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Competition for internships continues to intensify, with employers cutting programs or converting them to unpaid positions as hiring budgets tighten. The squeeze is creating a vicious cycle for young workers who can’t land a job without experience, and can’t get experience without that first job.