In the frozen wilderness of Antarctica, emperor penguins do something extraordinary. Faced with wind chills that would kill most animals in minutes, they ensure the continuation of their species by forming tightly coordinated, groups that move as one.
When building high performing teams that need to operate in mission-critical environments, there’s a lot we can learn from these remarkable birds.
Trust Is the foundation, not a bonus
When emperor penguins form a huddle, each bird relies on the group for survival. There’s no micromanagement, no hierarchy. Just innate trust that each member will take a turn at the edge and that no one will be left behind.
In high performing teams, trust isn’t earned over time. It’s given early and strengthened through action. Team members:
- Assume competence in each one other.
- Share information openly.
- Rely on one another in high-stakes situations without second-guessing motives or skills.
If your team doesn’t feel safe enough to rotate to the cold edge of the storm, you don’t have a high performing team — you have survivors. And survivors burn out.
The huddle: a living system of support
Penguin huddles aren’t static; they move in subtle, constant rotations. Each bird gradually shifting positions so that everyone gets equal exposure to the cold and warmth. Without the support of the huddle, they wouldn’t be able to survive due to not having enough in their fat stores to survive the storms alone.
This is exactly what high performing teams do:
- They rotate responsibilities, spreading load fairly.
- They support each other actively, stepping in before burnout happens.
- They create fluid leadership dynamics, where roles shift based on context, not hierarchy or title.
You don’t need rigid structures when the team knows how to move together. You need awareness, empathy, and shared rhythm.
Shared purpose is the anchor
In the centre of a penguin huddle is something fragile and precious: the egg. It’s the reason the huddle exists. Every movement, every rotation, every act of endurance is done in service of protecting that purpose. The fathers must ensure the egg stays warm and off the ground or else lose their only offspring for that season.
High-performing teams are anchored the same way. They aren’t high performing because of perks, personalities, or process. They’re high performing because they know exactly what they’re protecting:
- A mission-critical system.
- A customer experience.
- A promise to the public.
That clarity allows for autonomy. Teams don’t need to be told what to do. They intuit what to do, because they know what matters most. Unclear priorities or ever shifting focus is a deterrant to high performing teams.
Psychological safety (in the storm)
In Antarctic storms, visibility drops, winds surge, and the cold penetrates everything. Emperor penguins survive because they never break the huddle. They can’t afford to question if someone will do their part; they just do it, and trust others will, too.
In teams, especially under pressure, psychological safety is the equivalent. It means:
- People speak up when they see a problem.
- Mistakes are discussed, not punished.
- Feedback flows without fear.
Without that, the team scatters under pressure. With it, they stay tight and move through the storm together.
Building the huddle takes intentional work
Penguins don’t randomly survive. Their huddle behaviour is evolutionary, practiced, and refined.
Similarly, high performing teams don’t just form—they’re built:
- Through clear norms (how we work, talk, and decide).
- Through shared experiences, especially hard ones.
- Through rituals that reinforce connection: standups, retros, 1:1s, and even moments of celebration.
You can’t brute-force your way to trust. You build it by showing up consistently for each other, for the mission, and for the long winter ahead.
Survive alone, thrive together
The emperor penguin doesn’t survive alone. It survives because it belongs to a system where trust, shared purpose, and coordinated action are non-negotiable.
If you want to build a team that can withstand high stakes, tight deadlines, and constant pressure — you need more than skill. You need trust like the penguins have: deep, mutual, and weather-tested.
Because in the end, high performance isn’t about speed, or even individual brilliance.
It’s about knowing that no matter how hard the storm hits, the team will hold.