Like many others, I started my New Year by binge watching the final season of Netflix’s Stranger Things with my family. If you aren’t familiar with the show, fear not. You don’t have to be to appreciate this week’s message. Read on…
Set in the 1980s, Stranger Things follows a group of kids in the fictitious town of Hawkins, Indiana, who uncover a secret government experiment and a terrifying alternate dimension after their friend mysteriously disappears.
Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, collectively and affectionately known as the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things recently became the most-watched series in Netflix history. To call the show a cultural juggernaut would be a tremendous understatement.
Economists estimate that Stranger Things has contributed a whopping $1.4 billion to the U.S. Economy through views, merchandise, and product placement. When the Duffer Brothers featured Eggos as the favorite snack of one of the show’s main characters, the frozen waffle brand reported a 14% increase in sales.
The show provided similar boosts to Chips Ahoy cookies, the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, and the career of singer Kate Bush, whose song “Running Up That Hill” became a surprising Top 10 hit 38 years after its original release.
While Stranger Things draws much of its appeal from 1980s nostalgia, the real magic lies in the chemistry among its young cast. Most were preteens when the series began. Those same cast members are now successful twenty-somethings, some married with children of their own.
In the newly released documentary One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, the Duffer Brothers discuss the massive challenge of making a film about kids, not for kids, and wanting to combine coming of age and horror.
They turned a group of strange, quirky, misfit preteens who were, if you’ll pardon the expression, complete strangers to one another when filming began into one of the most successful ensembles in film history.
When people don’t know each other, connection has to be designed, not hoped for. The early stages of a relationship are exactly where leaders can create momentum—as evidenced by the Stranger Things phenomenon.
Plenty can be learned from how the Duffer Brothers approached their challenge. Here are three things you can do to help strangers become good teammates:
1. Create structured interactions (not forced bonding)
Don’t just rely on “go introduce yourself.” Instead, build short, intentional moments where teammates learn something human about each other—paired discussions, rotating partners, or small-group prompts that go beyond the superficial (e.g., “What’s a skill you’re proud of?” or “What’s something that motivates you?”).
Structure lowers awkwardness and speeds trust. During filming, the Duffer Brothers intentionally created opportunities for the cast members to hang out and “play games” together on set.
2. Give them a shared win early
Connection accelerates when people do something together that leads them to be invested in the process. Assign a low-risk, short-term task that requires collaboration. Soliciting feedback on that task creates a sense of “we” and shifts people from strangers to teammates faster than conversation alone.
The Duffer Brothers intentionally solicited their young actors’ opinions during filming. In the Netflix documentary, Noah Schnapp recalled this specifically happening for him as a 10-year-old. “The Duffers really listened and really collaborated with us…’What does Noah think?’ We’re gonna defer to you’…and I am like OK, I guess you guys trust me.”
3. Model the behavior you want to see
Leaders set the tone. Share first. Learn names quickly. Acknowledge contributions publicly. Show curiosity instead of control. When a leader demonstrates openness and respect, it signals psychological safety—and people follow that cue with each other.
How harmoniously Matt and Ross Duffer interacted with each other on set was in full display during the entirety of the filming. Numerous crew members commented on this fact during the documentary.
Bottom line, connections don’t form because people are bound by a common premise; they form because leaders create conditions where trust, familiarity, and common purpose can grow. No place is this truer than when it comes to building a team of good teammates.
As always…Good teammates care. Good teammates share. Good teammates listen. Go be a good teammate.
