End of Individualism Part-II

Further going ahead with yesterday's article.

 

I insist on teaching teams to be well prepared for assignments and to keep going in spite of hardship. When my company enrolls an executive in leadership training, we emphasize the following lessons of teamwork:

• How to play through pain
• How to resist the criminal opportunities inherent in becoming an MVP
• How to keep your feet on the ground despite being a member of special teams with special force
• How to outlive uncomfortable appointments, such as when your boss has selected you for teams that are a bad

fit, and how to behave when you are chosen for teams you do not want to play on

 

Life can be a tough slog, and victories sporadic. Maybe we can’t win, but we can keep going. The effort brings its own rewards, which we must learn to appreciate.

 

Successful teams share values, integrity, and a commitment to one another. In preparing for a team event, or for becoming a member of a team, a transformation occurs. Team members end their individual associations and create a team identity through sharing with others the experience of that process.

 

Once the team is created, a strong bond is already in place from that preparation, from the obstacles everyone had to overcome to get there.

 

When joining the military, for example, everyone has a crucible, a basic training, which really isn’t basic at all and is usually the hardest experience to get through. The crucible is something all members have to overcome to be part of the team. They shave all the soldiers’ heads to take away their individual designations and rebuild them as team members and reshape them into a shared identity.

 

Teams must feel “at home” with uncertainty and complexity. In a world getting faster and more competitive every day, where uncertainty and complexity are the norm, captains and their teams need to be comfortable functioning in such an environment.

 

In complex situations the temptation is to play it safe. That’s why teams members must trust their instincts. Sometimes this is the only way to move forward and often at a moment’s notice. Effective teams learn by doing and stay focused on results; they’re not constrained by strict adherence to methods or processes, and that gives them the flexibility and resiliency they need to thrive in flux.

 

Effective teams take risks. Because business climates are constantly changing, teams and the captains who lead them know that yesterday’s guidelines can quickly become obsolete. This is another reason not be bogged down by following rules and taking orders. Instead, teams push boundaries when it’s appropriate (in other words, when ethical and moral lines aren’t being crossed), because the greatest innovations happen beyond existing laws and rules.

 

Of course it’s important to encourage the kind of risk that involves seizing opportunities. But it’s also equally (and increasingly) important to prevent the risk of negative team behavior—allowing the dark side to encroach on ethical behavior—as evidenced by the behavior of Bernie Madoff, Lance Armstrong, and others.

The word “team” is more than just a business buzzword. If done well, building and captaining a team will determine whether you merely survive or instead thrive in this strange new economy.