Hello Teamwork and Leadership followers!
Former NFL football star Jerry Rice was once asked whether he thought the success of the team (the Denver Bronco's) that season was the result of the team's quarterback Tim Tebow, or the defense.
How Rice responded to that question was profound. He said: “'When are we going to get past the idea that one person or one thing is the reason for a group’s success?'” Get over it already. It’s killin’ us.
"I think it’s a big reason why our economy is struggling and why we don’t have nonpartisan teamwork in Washington.
"The Broncos aren’t winning because of Tebow or because of the D (defense). They’re winning because all fifty-three players and the coaches and front office and maintenance guys and ticket takers are pulling together, doing their jobs well. That questions awful.”
For any one person of any team to believe that they are more important, or better than the rest of the team is presumptuous and naive.
I have always loved the quote by Japanese writer Ryunosuke Satoro who said, “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”
We are so much more powerful than any one of us alone. But putting egos aside means teammates have to have humility and though humility is rare these days, we need more of it on teams than ever.
As a leader, what are you doing to help your team realize that they are one drop, though a very significant drop, in the magic you are trying create together? |