Lynda Gratton is professor of management practice at London Business School and a leading light in HR strategy. This stimulating book, backed by research into 57 teams in 17 international companies, will bring her a keen readership among business leaders for her concept of "hot spots"—when creativity and purpose flare among groups of people at work—and how to foster the co-operative culture that makes them possible.

Hot spots occur when a co-operative corporate mindset, working across boundaries, is ignited by a common purpose. People "become energised and excited about sharing knowledge and what they might learn from others." The ignition often sparks when a leader asks a big question: Gratton cites Lord Browne in earlier days asking BP staff: "How can we, as an oil company, become a force for good?" This led to a spurt of employee-driven innovations in renewable energy "beyond petroleum."

Such creative combustion is smothered when a declared corporate ethos of teamwork and co-operation is undermined by "unwritten rules" of competitiveness and self-interest. New recruits quickly learn to talk one way but act another. The co-operative mindset is learned from others, and behaviour at the top—especially mentoring—is one of the most important factors.

The Nokia and Goldman Sachs case studies stand out. Nokia has an induction system designed to foster a culture of co-operative relationships. At Goldman, former CEO Hank Paulson says collaboration is a core value because "quite simply, none of us is as smart as all of us." Bearing in mind Goldman's king's-ransom bonuses, that's quite a claim.