Leadership is a team sport. And while the pressure to win may not be distributed equally amongst team players, feeling “the pressure to win” and “actually winning” are not the same thing. Just ask Michael Jordan, Shaq and Lebron James (to name a few). Those of us familiar with the Chicago Bulls teams in the 1990s will recall that Michael Jordan was under tremendous pressure to win, even while he racked up multiple individual awards, including MVP and defensive player of the year. But the NBA championship escaped the franchise until the Bulls learned to work together as a team under Phil Jackson. Remember BJ Armstrong, Steve Kerr, Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant. While these players were lesser known, they were no less important to the team’s ultimate success. Teaming means cultivating a perspective that goes beyond self - my role, my work, my responsibilities - to embrace the greater we - our roles, our work, our responsibilities. The goal of effective teams is interdependence. Whether Phil Jackson’s triangle offense on the hard court or collaborative processes with role clarity in a for profit or non-profit organization, team members working together effectively is a prerequisite for achieving remarkable results. Effective leaders understand that the work of teaming includes getting each team member to appreciate and understand the value of the other team members roles and contributions within the context of the collective goal sought by the group. #LeadWithTeaming
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