Successful Teams

Teams are an interesting phenomenon. They are found throughout most, if not all, human institutions: business, government, social groups and even families.

I've been involved in teams for most of my life. As a former athlete, I participated primarily in team sports: football, basketball, and baseball. I wanted to share a few observations from my experiences as a member of lots of teams--some more successful than others.

Teams must have a purpose.

Trying to get people to work together simply for the sake of them working together is usually an exercise that ends in disaster. Unless there is a legitimate reason that individuals are assembled, and forced to work together, then the group will probably fall apart fairly quickly. I will sacrifice my independence ONLY if there is a purpose bigger than I can handle on my own.

Too many superstars can mess up a team.

Having a collection of individual superstars rarely guarantees a successful team. Teams filled with "All-Stars " are often distracted by the overwhelming collection of egos. I've heard that "the goal must be more important than the role". However, when team members are unable to submit themselves to the goal of the team, soon the leader will be acting as a referee instead of a coordinator.

I actually believe that ego and pride (which are usually masks used by emotionally unhealthy individuals) are the reasons that moderately talented individuals work better together than highly talented people.

Opponents are great team-builders.

I've had teammates that I never would have connected with had we not been on the same team. More times than not, it was our desire to defeat our opponents that proved to be the primary bonding factor. In other words, I wasn't really concerned about us being buddies. However, we needed to beat Notre Dame (the "enemy"), so we needed to work together. The opponent created the bond.

So then, if you are looking to either lead, or be a part of a successful team, I recommend the following:

1. Identify your purpose and your goals - Why does this team exist?

2. Don't be enamored with superstars. The best teams don't always have the most talented individuals.

3. Identify your external opposition. Your enemy can be your best team-builder.


Many of the members of this group are leaders of teams (organizations, church groups, sports teams). Hopefully, this will jump start some dialogue that will be insightful and beneficial to all of us.