Trust. When you’re building a collaborative team, it trumps everything—and without it, even brains and talent don’t count for much. That’s Pat Lefler’s take, and based on his credentials, he knows a thing or two about winning teams: the Wharton School, the U.S. Naval Academy, the Marine Corps, Goldman Sachs. According to Pat, trust-deficient organizations have a huge disadvantage. They can’t innovate; and worse, they can’t fix the problem simply by bringing in new talent.

Pat Lefler’s job is to help companies turn new-product ideas into revenue, a process that doesn’t get off the ground without an effective team in place. On October 14, 2010, Pat tells Collaboration Pizza listeners how to make the leap from individual to group competence, describes behaviors that nurture and damage organizational trust, and shares two questions every company should ask before spending a dime on a new idea.

Pat is CEO of the Spruance Group, a New Jersey consulting firm focused on product innovation, positioning and pricing. He was just named among the top 40 innovation bloggers of 2010 and is a four-time Boston Marathon finisher. Tune in at 3:30 pm EDT on Thursday, October 14 to hear Pat Lefler live on Collaboration Pizza.