Good Think: The Science of Smarter Teams: Damon Centola

Damon Centola, UPenn professor and author of Good Think, explains why smart people can make poor decisions together—and how better network structures can unlock collective intelligence. He challenges the traditional fear of groupthink, arguing that the problem isn't collaboration itself, but unequal influence, hierarchy, and limited information flow. The conversation covers organizational design, Building 20 at MIT, AI’s risk of homogenizing thought, and how leaders can build teams where better ideas rise.

Damon is the Elihu Katz Professor of Communication, Sociology, and Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, the founding director of its Network Dynamics Group, and a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow. He is one of the world’s leading experts on social networks, behavior change, and collective intelligence.

His latest book, Goodthink: The New Science of Collective Intelligence, challenges what we think we know about groupthink and reveals how the structure of our networks can make teams more creative, connected, and intelligent. On episode #542 of #thePOZcast, we unpack why the smartest person does not always create the smartest team, how ideas and behaviors really spread, and what leaders can do to unlock the intelligence already inside their organizations.

Book: Goodthink: The New Science of Collective Intelligence (MIT Press; October 13)

Website & social media links:

https://ndg.asc.upenn.edu/

www.damoncentola.com (in progress)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damoncentola/

X: https://x.com/DamonCentola