Confidence is the last factor of the development model we have previously discussed. A good team or organization will create confident stakeholders. Teammates are confident when they feel connected and cared about. They will develop growing competencies through their participation in the enterprise and build trust, as we all conduct life with high character.  We are delighted to add new, talented people to our team. We need the new blood. But we’re also blessed with many folks who have been with us

Most folks watch ball games for simple enjoyment.  They hope that the team they’re pulling for wins and their favorite players perform well. I want those things too, but I try to pay attention to details about how the best teams perform. Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the great college and Olympic basketball coach says there are five fundamental qualities that make every team great: Communication – How well do the teammates talk with each other?  Do

“Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” – Steve Spurrier, football coach Teams make you better. When I consider the best things I’ve been associated with, teamwork was involved. My family – team. Our company – team. My church experience and spiritual growth – supported by teams. Pretty good athletic experiences; the thrill of victory – teams. The agony of defeat – soothed by teams. We are wired to be connected. We

“Under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be loved, appreciated, and understood.” This quote resonated with me. Many of the relationships I have at work don’t get through the shell.  There are hundreds of employees.  I don’t know many names.  One regret I have is that I walk by teammates in the grocery store and don’t acknowledge them because we’re in a different context. So much for confession. But here’s the reality.  As teammates, we should

Do you feel like a winner today?                         Did your team hit its goals? Did you make progress? Rosabeth Moss Kanter studied teams that win and teams that lose. She found that winning teams have some advantages over losing teams. Winning teams: Have a better attitude. Enjoy hanging out with each other. Are more open to constructive criticism because they are confident in their ability to win; they are more open to other ways they can

A note in the locker room of the Miami Heat, a National Basketball Association team, says this: “When two teams meet that are equal in ability and execution, it’s the team that has pride that wins.” We use “pride” a great deal to describe someone who has an unsinkable character. These words add up to PRIDE: Persistent. You stay with a task however difficult. Responsible. You can be counted on to be in the right

“Ubuntu” is about promoting the greater good through compassion, humanity, and oneness within a team. “A Coach’s Rules for Life” was a Netflix docuseries released in 2020. The first episode featured Doc Rivers, a great NBA coach, describing the leadership rules he leads and coaches by. One of his rules was “Ubuntu.” I recognized it immediately. I heard the term when he led a remarkable renaissance with the Boston Celtics. I wrote you a note then

I read a book this year called Givers and Takers by Adam Grant. He proposes an interesting model of organizational interaction. He says there are three types of people: takers, matchers, and givers. Takers approach things with a win/lose approach. In every interaction, they try to gain more in return than they contribute. Matchers have fairness as their standard. They desire even trades. They want their contributions to receive a like-minded return. Most people are matchers. They

I watch HBO Hard Knocks, a show that follows an NFL team through its training camp, covering the team’s preparation for the upcoming football season.  This season, the Detroit Lions are featured. The head coach Dan Campbell was walking among his team and said: “We are who we are. We choose who that is.” It’s a rich insight.  “We are who we are.” It means we are going to act according to our skill set