Building Teams That Last: Trust, Resilience, and Leading Through Change

What really makes a team succeed? What slowly tears it apart? 

In this episode of Extraordinary Pursuits, Mohamed (“Mo”) Massaquoi joins host Rachelle Kuramoto for a conversation about leading with impact and unlocking team potential. Mo knows a lot about teams. He had an early career as a college and NFL wide receiver. After retiring from the game, he became an organizational psychologist and founded VESSOL, a consultancy providing leaders with change management and organizational transformation guidance.  

Listen in to this inspiring discussion to learn why a group of people and a true team are not the same. What non-negotiables consistently bind high-performing teams. How to spot and avoid the pernicious ‘cracks’ that can undermine culture and performance – and much more. 

This conversation is a playbook for founders and executives who want to be part of and lead strong teams capable of innovation, resilience, and lasting results. 

Time Stamps: 

• 02:53 Mohamed's background and transition into finance   
• 05:32 What inspired Mohamed to pursue organizational psychology  
• 07:14 Unlocking the potential of people within a team 
• 09:14 Common misconceptions and the true force that binds teams 
• 13:12 The non-negotiables of building a thriving team  
• 15:44 Key indicators of a strong, healthy team 
• 17:07 Insidious cracks that can undermine a team’s foundation 
• 19:35 Balancing leadership with delegation in team management 
• 21:17 Team integration: How mergers can accelerate or hinder growth 
• 24:04 Building teams with a human-centered approach 
• 26:46 How VESSOL helps companies build high-performance teams 
• 28:53 Mohamed’s final words on the power of peers 

Points of Wisdom: 

• “People have the potential to make it happen with a good leader.” [06:58]
• “As teams, we have to share the same values, but that does not mean we have to be the same person.” [13:20] 
• “Without constant leading, mending, and molding of a team, cracks can appear, and they are really hard to patch when they do.”  [17:58] 

About Mohamed Massaquoi: 

Mohamed (“Mo”) Massaquoi is an organizational psychologist, former NFL wide receiver, and founder of VESSOL. After a standout football career at the University of Georgia and five seasons in the NFL, Mohamed transitioned into finance with Morgan Stanley. He later earned a master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and completed Harvard’s Leadership Development Program. 

In 2017, a life-changing ATV accident led to the amputation of his left hand, shaping his perspective on resilience, adaptability, and the dynamics of high-performing teams – especially in times of change. Today, Mohamed helps organizations navigate transformation, unlock growth, and build teams that can truly thrive together. 

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