Hey there.

You might notice that things are a little different. New look, new content, and a new permanent author to support an exciting new announcement...

🥁 We’re publishing our first-ever book, Teams That Meet The Moment, in May 2026! 

Over the past 18 months, this book has been a labor of love for the whole August team. As its author, I’ll be taking over our regularly scheduled newsletter programming to talk about the beautiful mess of modern teaming in the lead-up to launch. 

So, allow me to (re)introduce myself. 

Hi 👋 I’m Karina Mangu-Ward, August partner and teaming expert on a mission to uncover what helps teams thrive in uncertainty and make those practices accessible to all.

What I care about most is helping teams do their best work together. 

Not by muscling through. Not by adding more meetings, more tools, or more heroic individual effort.

But by shifting their mindset and practicing simple, powerful habits that make collaboration easier, faster, and more joyful.

And it’s that belief—that work shouldn’t suck, and teams shouldn’t struggle—that led me to write Teams That Meet the Moment. ✍️

A lot of teams look fine on paper (smart people, good work ethic), but they’re quietly drowning in everyday friction. Add in global uncertainty, continuous disruption, economic shifts, hybrid work, and evolving expectations, and it’s no wonder that teams struggle to stay responsive and resilient. 

Most leadership advice assumes stable conditions, but what about when nothing’s stable? 

Teams That Meet the Moment offers a different approach: nine proven practices that help leaders and teams pivot, respond, and grow no matter what’s happening around them.

It’ll teach you how to:

• Break free from org charts and empower distributed ownership and accountability 
• Accelerate and improve decision cycles without falling into chaos
• Design adaptive routines that enable learning, increase transparency, and scale with change
• Foster shared purpose and clarity even in ambiguity

These are not theoretical. They’re battle-tested practices drawn from real organizations grappling with real volatility.

This book is for anyone who feels the quiet (or not-so-quiet) tug that work could be better and is tired of waiting for someone else to fix it. 

If you’re a leader trying to move your organization forward but feel stuck in slow motion. If you’re a team member whose days are filled with meetings that drain you instead of energizing you. If you’re overwhelmed by change, hungry for clarity when everything feels uncertain, or simply longing for workdays that feel a little more human. 

We’re not just writing a book, we’re building a movement. 🤝 I hope you’ll join us and help change how teams work.

Karina Mangu-Ward

Partner, August Public