There is no ‘I’ in team, yet a team is composed of individuals that must work together toward a shared goal or purpose. How those individuals function, interact, and communicate within and across the team is indicative of how well that team will perform. The leader sets the tone, formation, and rules to engage and affix team members.
There is nothing like being in a great, talented, supportive, and high-performing team that delivers amazing results. However, that requires the cooperation and contribution of every team member, not just individually but collectively as well; in support of each other.
Michael Jordan was correct when he said “There is no ‘I’ in team, but there is in win.” Great team players are people that leverage their talents to augment the capability and performance of their team. They carry a ‘we’ mindset rather than a ‘me’ mindset. Using that outlook, they support each other by helping to address barriers, showcase successes, call out strengths, find ways to improve weaknesses, impart confidence, and lend support. They also hold each member accountable for their deliverables; knowing full-well that the growth and performance of individual members results in the overall growth and performance of the team as a whole.
Great teams are usually led by great leaders. They hold everyone together by recognizing the amount of time teams spend together and aims to achieve an away-from-home sense of family. They know when to be transparent, when to mentor, when to make adjustments, when to support, when to protect, and even when to enforce. Leading high-performing teams is all about garnering respect through consistent, firm, and fair directing of team members. Great leaders also play a key role in aligning the work of their teams with the overall purpose and intent of the effort.
In response, the team members’ vantage point is all about the ‘we’ and moving forward in unison by supporting each other towards that ultimate goal. With great performance comes the opportunity to be acknowledged and to celebrate everyone’s contributions and successes. That is when the worth of a team is showcased.
