Why Rivalry Can Actually Make Your Team Worse
Episode Description
ABOUT THE EPISODE Can competing against someone actually make you worse at working with everyone else? Research suggests that individual rivalry can come at a cost to the entire team.
Henning Piezunka, Associate Professor of Management at the Wharton School, joins the show to discuss his research into the relationship between rivalry and performance.
Using NBA matchups like Larry Bird versus Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant versus Michael Jordan, Piezunka explains why players may score more against individual rivals while making their teams less effective. He also explores the lessons for workplace competition, employee incentives, and business leadership.
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Brief Summary
Henning Piezunka discusses how rivalry impacts individual and team performance in sports and the workplace.
Key points
- The Dynamics of Rivalry. Henning Piezunka explores how rivalry affects personal success and team performance.
- Basketball Insights on Teamwork. Research reveals that individual scoring can harm overall team performance.
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Episode highlights
- The Dynamics of RivalryHenning Piezunka explores how rivalry affects personal success and team performance.“Rivalry is an intra-organizational phenomenon.”1:07Oct 2, 2026
- Basketball Insights on TeamworkResearch reveals that individual scoring can harm overall team performance.“Just because an individual is scoring well doesn't mean they're a good team player.”7:54Oct 2, 2026





