The Big Mo: How Momentum Builds High-Performing Teams and Accelerates Growth
- Beth Torres
- Jun 6
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 8
TL;DR
Momentum is one of the most underused competitive advantages in business. Just like a sports team riding a winning streak, teams with momentum perform faster, better, and with more confidence. Leaders who understand how to create and sustain “The Big Mo” build high-performing teams that move with clarity, reduce costs, and scale faster. In this blog, we explore how momentum works, why it matters, and the actions leaders can take to build it and keep it.
The Final Quarter Comeback
Picture this: It’s the fourth quarter. One team makes every shot, feeds off each other’s energy, and dominates the scoreboard. The crowd is roaring. The bench is electric.
Everything is clicking.
That’s momentum.
Now look at the other side. The opposing team can’t seem to land a pass. Shoulders are slumped. Frustration is high. And then... timeout.
Why? Because the losing coach knows the power of momentum. A timeout is often less about strategy and more about disrupting the other team’s flow. Because once momentum builds, it’s hard to stop.
Now let’s bring that same energy into business.
Momentum in Business: The Snowball Effect
In a business context, momentum looks like:
A team that’s executing well and celebrating consistent wins.
Meetings where ideas turn into action.
Customers who feel the energy and refer others.
A culture where trust and clarity replace fear and confusion.
Momentum builds belief. And belief drives behavior.
The best leaders don’t wait for momentum; they create it. Because when you have it, your team is more confident, aligned, and resilient. When you lose it, performance drags, morale dips, and chaos creeps in.
Why Momentum Matters for High-Performing Teams
According to Gallup, high-performing teams are:
17% more productive
21% more profitable
41% less absentee
And guess what drives that performance? A culture of small wins, clarity of purpose, and continuous progress. In other words, MOMENTUM.
Momentum reduces friction in decision-making, accelerates adoption of change, and helps teams maintain a growth mindset - even when things get tough. It’s also a key component of cost optimization: teams with momentum waste less time in churn, confusion, and course correction.
Building and Keeping Momentum in Your Team
Establish Clear Goals – Set the Vision and Define the win
Create Quick Wins – Momentum starts with motion. Deliver early success to generate belief.
Example: Streamline a meeting that’s been wasting time. Celebrate the saved hours.
Make it Visible – Make progress visible through scorecards and comms.
Celebrate the Win – Reinforce behavior and energy. Don’t be shy – acknowledge success openly, often, and publicly.
Protect the Energy - Momentum is fragile. Remove bottlenecks, kill process monsters, and address blockers quickly.
See the blog: The Real Cost of Process Inefficiency.
Lead Like It’s a Practice, Not a Position - The most effective leaders fuel momentum by showing up with consistency and clarity. They coach, remove roadblocks, and stay emotionally present.
The Bottom Line
Momentum is the multiplier - It takes a little win and turns it into a movement. It transforms a decent team into a high-performing one by reducing waste, building trust, and accelerating results.
If your team feels stuck, don’t throw more strategy decks at the problem. Start building momentum with small, visible, purposeful wins, then lead with clarity, cut the noise, and feed the Big Mo.
In business, just like in sports, momentum wins games. Curious about how to get your Big Mo back, let's talk - book a call today
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