The Secret to Unlocking Team Genius with Dave Garrison

This week on the podcast, we sat down with Dave Garrison, author of The Buy-In Advantage, to unpack what it really takes to build trust, unlock collective genius, and lead in a way that makes people want to follow — not just comply. Big Ideas from the Episode 1. Lead with Questions, Not Answers Too many leaders default to "solving" when they should be curious. Dave challenges us to create space for others' ideas by asking better questions — and letting silence do some of the heavy lifting. 2. Trust Is Built Through Vulnerability Want more openness from your team? Go first. Admit mistakes, be transparent about uncertainty, and model the behavior you want to see. Trust follows behavior — not titles. 3. Rethink Your Meetings No more "death by update." Share status reports in writing and use meeting time to solve real problems, explore new ideas, and tap into group intelligence. Pro tip: Leaders should speak last to avoid biasing the room. 4. Use the ‘Collective Genius’ Framework To unlock true collective intelligence, start by defining the problem and the criteria for success before any brainstorming begins. This ensures everyone is solving the same problem and aiming at the same outcome. Next, give people time to reflect individually before the meeting — even a short pause or overnight buffer allows for deeper thinking and better ideas. When it's time to gather input, capture every idea without judgment or immediate evaluation. This creates psychological safety and encourages contributions from all voices, not just the loudest. Once ideas are on the table, use cumulative voting — where participants can allocate multiple votes — to prioritize the most promising directions. Finally, focus the group’s energy and discussion only on the top-voted ideas. This keeps the conversation productive, targeted, and respectful of everyone’s time and input. 5. Make Feedback a System, Not a Surprise Regular process checks after meetings, employee-led reviews, and clear growth conversations build a culture of continuous improvement. Ask often: “How can I better support you?” Leadership in Action Use “Connection Questions” in meetings to build trustTry “honorable closure” — end meetings with a quick reflection or feedback momentSet reminders (even on Post-its) to ask before tellingHave your team lead their own reviews — it builds ownership Try This This Week: ✅ Ask one more question before offering an opinion ✅ Run a meeting where you speak last ✅ Do a 60-second feedback loop at the end of your next team session Learn more about Dave Garrison over at Garrison Growth. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn. You can get the Magnetic Systems Method (and other systems guides) to find issues before they become expensive problems. As always, if you have any questions or want to submit an amazing guest for the podcast, just reach out to me on the Systematic Leader website, and I’ll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview, please take 30 seconds to rate the Systematic Leader podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!