What is the Essential Ingredient for Success? Just One Word: TEAM

For the purpose of this Blog, Team is synonymous with teamwork. It’s my belief that to be a success at anything, your Team is the most important factor, bar none. If your rebuttal is there are many successful sole proprietors’s out there; I would make the argument, that the successful one-person-companies, still surround themselves with a team of professionals. Or if you make the point that Serena Williams won 19 Gland Slam Singles tournaments by herself, my counter would be her family is her team. After all, she grew up playing with Venus, not to mention they are 13-0 in Grand Slam doubles. Plus both her father Richard and her mother Oracene are credited as being her coach up until she brought on Marcos Baghdatis in 2012. I would make a similar argument for Tiger Woods.

• Vince Lombardi defines teamwork as “individual commitment to a group effort”. He is also quoted as saying “People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses or the problems of modern society.”

• Paul Bear Bryant “In order to have a winner, the team must have a feeling of unity; every player must put the team first-ahead of personal glory.”

• Henry Ford when discussing teamwork, “Coming together is a beginning, Keeping together is progress, Working together is Success.”

• Thomas Edison when asked why he had a team of twenty-one assistants, “If I could solve all the problems myself, I would.”

• Andrew Carnegie “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”

• Even in politics Hillary Clinton famously stated, “It takes a Village.”

• Or how about the coach with more rings than fingers, Phil Jackson, “The strength of the team is each individual member…the strength of each member is the team.”

• And Phil’s most successful pupil Michael Jordan, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”

I have been a sports fan since I can remember, so the topic of Team is second nature to me. Some of the greatest athletes ever, did not win until they had a solid team behind them. A couple examples that come to mind immediately, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Before Michael had Scotty Pippen as his Robin, all he did was score and lose to the Pistons in the playoffs. Until LeBron relocated to Miami Beach with his boys Wade and Bosch, he was title-less.

Being on a successful team is one of the greatest experiences we will ever experience. I still remember being part of “Tom Chews Little Pros’”, one of the little league teams I was on many moons ago. We went undefeated that year, but what I remember the most is how fun coach Jerry Nowicki made it for us. In fact, coach always preached team and would get on any of us if we were showboating and/or bringing attention to ourselves. The fact that we went undefeated definitely help the “fun” quotient, but having teammates to celebrate made the experience one that I still treasure.

About a month ago, during a review meeting with the Big Boss, he gave me a compliment that meant more to me than just about anything could have. He said, when he hired me, he knew I was good at my craft, but he did not realize how good of a team player I am. I can attribute that directly back to coach Nowicki. I already knew we had a great group of professionals, but knowing the boss recognizes the importance of team, puts the cherry on top.

The theme of this Blog going forward will always be TEAM. I plan on discussing our team, our business partner’s team and our customer’s teams. I will most definitely insert several sports analogies, again second nature to me, but hope to be informative and entertaining at the same time.

Have you surrounded yourself with a Team you are proud to be part of? What makes your team successful? Do you have fond memories of a team you were on decades ago?

Having a great idea is not enough to build a great company.  What it takes is a motivated team of people, with a singular goal, encouraged to reach for the stars.

T.E.A.M. – Together Everyone Achieves More………….