I recently watched a documentary about the famous Blue Angels aerial demonstration team that was released on Prime Video in May of 2024.

The Blue Angels are a flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy that was formed in 1946. Their stated mission is “to showcase the pride and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps by inspiring a culture of excellence and service to the country through flight demonstrations and community outreach.”

The documentary follows the newest class of the squadron as they prepare and train for their upcoming season of aerial shows. The documentary is a great “behind the scenes” look at a group of elite fighter pilots and a fascinating study of what goes into creating a high performing team.

Here’s five things I learned about teams from The Blue Angels…

1. For a team to perform well, there must be continual learning that is rooted in the basics of team dynamics and execution. This is described in the documentary through this quote from one of the pilots: “If you don’t have the right foundation, it’s just not going to work.”
2. For a team to perform well, there must be a high level of trust. As one pilot says, “Everything is trust.” A team must be able to trust that each member is going to do his job and take responsibility for doing his job well.
3. For a team to perform well, there must be a sense of “togetherness.” The Blue Angels create this through team rituals and the observance of specific traditions. This helps each person see that he or she is part of something bigger than themselves. One saying among the BA’s is, “Everything here is about being a member of the team.”
4. For a team to perform well, each person should be committed to helping their peers succeed. This involves the willingness to provide feedback and communicate authentically. That willingness is the result of a high-trust environment.
5. For a team to perform well, a team must be able to learn from mistakes. This involves naming the mistake, owning it, and reflecting on why something went wrong. The Blue Angels call this “failing together.”

Does this describe your team?

If not, how can you develop this kind of team culture?