Member-only story
Lead the Team Inside You
A fresh take on a well-known system for making tough personal decisions.
You know that feeling when you have a big decision to make and every part of you starts arguing all at once? Part of you says: “Dude, play it safe.” Another pumps you up and says, “Go for it.” Then another part inside yells: “You have no clue what you’re doing!”
Which part is right? It’s chaotic. And it’s normal. It’s what happens when you, a single individual, are trying to lead a team inside yourself.
Most people haven’t heard of Bruce Tuckman.
But as a psychological researcher, he developed a framework that quietly underpins everything from team offsites to leadership training decks to first-year group therapy workshops.
In 1965, he proposed that groups grow through five stages:
- Forming (getting to know each other and the goal)
- Storming (clashing over ideas, roles, or direction)
- Norming (finding common ground and building trust)
- Performing (working smoothly and making progress)
- Adjourning (wrapping up, reflecting, and moving on)