The “Decoder Ring” Method for Building High-Performing, Autonomous Teams with Steve O’Brien of Syneos Health

Can you break traditional management structures and still drive exceptional results?

Steve O'Brien, SVP of People Solutions at Syneos Health, proves it's possible with his innovative "decoder ring" approach to talent leadership—managing 25 direct reports without a single scheduled one-on-one meeting.

In this episode, Steve explains how he balances efficiency with employee engagement, why decision-making should be pushed down to remove bottlenecks, and how psychological safety and autonomy drive performance.

Steve also talks about:

• The 3 biggest priorities new leaders should tackle
• Why some “creative tension” is healthy for talent teams
• How to leverage quarterly performance reviews for big wins

 

Connect with Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevemobrien  

Connect with us:

💻 All Episodes: TalentAllStars.com

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ziprecruiter/

💼 Dave’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davetravers/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziprecruiter

🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ziprecruiter

 

Enjoyed this episode? We’d be grateful for a rating or review on your favorite podcast app.