The dynamical and structural aspects of cluster synchronization (CS) in complex systems have been intensively investigated in recent years. Here, we study CS of dynamical systems with intra- and inter-cluster couplings. We exploit new metrics that describe the performance of such systems and evaluate them as a function of the strength of the couplings within and between clusters. We obtain analytical results that indicate that spectral differences between the Laplacian matrices associated with the partition between intra- and inter-couplings directly affect the metrics of system performance. Our results show that the dynamics of the system might exhibit an optimal balance that optimizes its performance. Our work provides new insights into the way specific symmetry properties relate to collective behavior, and could lead to new forms to increase the controllability of complex systems and to optimize their stability. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.