🔺The Power of Triads: How Three Can Be Stronger Than Two

In their book Tribal Leadership, Dave Logan, John King, and Halee Fischer-Wright describe every organisation or community as a collection of tribes – groups of around 20 to 150 people, connected not by structure but by relationships and shared language.

Each tribe operates at a cultural stage, from self-interest and rivalry (Stage 3) to collaboration (Stage 4) and ultimately purpose-driven contribution (Stage 5).

The difference between an average tribe and a great one often comes down to a simple but powerful shift – from diads to triads.

From Diads to Triads

Most relationships in organisations, and indeed life, are built around pairs – leader and team member, manager and report, doctor and patient, parent and child. These are known as diads.

Diads are the natural structure in what Tribal Leadership describes as Stage 3 tribes – organisations, groups or communities. Diads are efficient but fragile. They rely on mutual agreement or control, and when tension arises, there’s nowhere for the energy to go.

Stage 3 tribes are full of strong diads – talented individuals building alliances, but often competing for influence. The majority of people operate from a mindset of “I’m great" with the inference "and you’re not.” Here, success depends on individual effort, expertise, and control. Relationships are transactional: people work for each other rather than with each other.

But to reach Stage 4 and Stage 5 cultures must shift beyond linear relationships to triads, where three people are connected by shared values and purpose (“We’re great”) and ultimately to societal impact (“Life is great”).

Why Three Beats Two

A diad is efficient but fragile. It relies on mutual agreement or submission and tends to collapse under strain. When one person steps away, the relationship – and often the work – falters. 

A triad, by contrast, introduces a stabilising third point. Three people linked by shared values and a common goal create balance and resilience. If tension arises between two, the third can mediate or refocus attention on purpose. Communication becomes more open, and power, knowledge and nuance becomes shared rather than (often unintentionally) hoarded.

Forming triads is not just a communication trick – it’s a conscious strategic step in building high-trust, high-performing networks. According to Tribal Leadership, helping people move from isolated diads to interconnected triads is how cultures advance from competitive independence to collaborative interdependence.

Triads in Leadership, Teams and Communities

In healthcare and other complex systems, the “hero leader” model can only take us so far. A single individual, however capable, cannot hold the full complexity of modern service delivery. Triads offer a way to flatten hierarchies and strengthen collaboration.

A GP, nurse, and practice manager leading a service improvement.
A clinician, commissioner, and community leader co-designing a new model of care.
A patient, volunteer, and social prescriber shaping a wellbeing programme.

Each is a triad – balancing perspective, distributing power, expertise and accountability, and building shared ownership. Each person complements the others’ perspectives: clinical, operational, and experiential. The result is a flatter, more adaptive system that invites participation rather than compliance.

Wherever people unite around a common goal, triads turn coordination into collaboration and leadership into shared stewardship.

Over time, triads replicate. Each member forms new triads with others, weaving a network of shared purpose that makes the tribe more resilient and self-sustaining.

Triads in the Consulting Room

The same principle applies to the most human space in healthcare: the consultation. Traditionally, it’s a diad – doctor and patient. But when a patient brings a partner, friend, or carer, the triangle transforms the dynamic.

That third presence adds memory, perspective, and advocacy. They notice things others might miss, help bridge understanding, and reinforce advice long after the appointment ends. Far from being an intrusion, they can strengthen safety, trust, and follow-through – completing the triangle of care.

From Pairs to Networks

Moving from diads to triads is a cultural evolution. It replaces dependency with collaboration and turns leadership from an individual act into a shared function.

When three people align around a purpose greater than themselves, the conversation becomes less about me or you – and more about us. That’s where the real strength of a team, a practice, or a community begins.