top of page

Book Review: Creating Intelligent Teams

Anne Rød and Marita Fridjhon's Creating Intelligent Teams is a comprehensive guide for leaders and team members alike, offering a framework for building and nurturing high performance teams.

Book Review: Creating Intelligent Teams

Leading High Performing Teams through Organisational Change 


The book, Creating Intelligent Teams, introduces the concept of Relationship Systems Intelligence(RSI), a unique approach that focuses on the underlying dynamics and patterns within teams. It also covers how to build trust in a relationship​ to foster collaboration and success, ultimately enhancing team effectiveness.

The 5 Keys to Building High Performing Teams Using RSI


The authors present the five-principled framework of RSI, including:


1. Accessing the Team Entity

The team entity is recognised as a unique and alive  entity that  can be accessed by shifting the focus from the individual member to seeing the team as a single, whole and unique system or entity.


2. Hearing, Seeing and Feeling the Team

Recognising the team as a system (entity) offers access to the team’s collective intelligence, enabling team members and leaders to tap into the sum of the whole, which is greater than each of the individual team members.

Book Review: Creating Intelligent Teams

This book, written after the creation of ORSC, has influenced updates to the curriculum. It solidified the 5 Principles of RSI, replacing the earlier "4 Cornerstones of ORSC," and introduced the 3-phase approach: meet, reveal, align & act, which is now central to the curriculum. 


It explains the impact of an ORSC practitioner and is a great introduction to ORSC concepts. Highly recommended for anyone curious about ORSC, it offers a comprehensive overview of the course content. Buy your copy on Amazon.


3. The Team Has the Answers

This makes each team system inherently intelligent and creative in generating solutions 


4. Roles in Teams Belong to the System/ Entity

Understanding this enables leaders and their teams to leverage the interconnectedness of team members and their roles (and behaviours), which is essential for building and sustaining high performing teams.


5. Change is Constant

Embracing change as a natural part of team evolution creates flexibility and resilience in navigating change sustainably. 

Practical Tools

The book provides a variety of practical tools and exercises to help teams apply RSI principles, such as team mapping, reflection practices, and conflict resolution strategies.


Case Studies

Real-world examples illustrate how RSI can be applied in various organisational settings, from startups to established corporations.

Ways of Improving Team Effectiveness By Using the Tools Above 


  • Clear and Accessible: The book is well-written and easy to understand, making it accessible to team members and leaders alike.

  • Practical Focus: The emphasis on practical tools and exercises makes it a valuable resource for leaders and team members who want to improve their effectiveness.

  • Innovative Approach: The RSI framework offers a cutting-edge perspective on team dynamics, providing insights not found in other leadership books.


Creating Intelligent Teams is a valuable resource for anyone looking to build and sustain high-performing teams. By providing a clear framework with practical tools, the authors offer a roadmap for creating teams that embody the traits of high-performing teams, who are not only effective but also a joy to work in.

bottom of page