“Finding good players is easy. Getting them to play as a team is another story.” — Casey Stengel
Since the dawn of history, mankind’s survival and evolution have depended on how well we can work together as a unit, a group, or a community. Without teamwork and cooperation, we would have long become extinct as a species.
We have many idioms about teamwork such as “There is strength in numbers,” and “Two heads are better than one.” There is only so much we can accomplish with the time, energy, ability, and mental capacity that we have. If we want to achieve greater things, we need a group of people who can work together and get the different roles and jobs done. In business, our success depends as much on our teams as it does on ourselves and our ideas.
That is why, as leaders, we need to know exactly how to be a team player, in order to get our people playing like a team.
Businesses are like infinite games. There are no winners and losers. There is only a vision, and tracking the progress and growth towards that vision. A team playing the infinite game needs teamwork to work well together. As the ones leading the team, it is on us to build infinite gem strategies and make that team grow collectively and individually.
You need to understand each person’s strengths and weaknesses, and how they can contribute to the shared goals of the team. You are in charge of motivating them to improve their skills and reminding them of their value. As leaders, we need to help each member become their best self and encourage the team to function at their best as a unit.
Whether they need to function as a well-oiled machine, or as an orchestral symphony of diverse instruments playing different parts and different notes in time, we are the ones directing, guiding, and nurturing that harmony.
Great leaders are the best team players. They understand the value of a team, unify them in a shared vision and goals, and find ways to motivate cooperation and collaboration that can bring the best out of each member.
Thanks for reading A Brilliant Tribe.
