9 Ways To Be A Great Team Member

One of my favorite authors and favorite follows on twitter is Jon Gordon. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't learn something from him. He quotes invoke so much personal reflection. They make you think about the person you are and want to become. 4 months to the day, he shared his 9 Ways to Be a Great Team Member piece on his blog. This is a must read for anyone who is part of team, whether in a business or a sports related field. The list and full explanations of each can be found here. 

1. Set the Example - Decide to set the example and show your team members what hard work, passions, and commitment looks like.

2. Use Your Strengths to Help the Team - Without your effort, focus, talent, and growth the team won't accomplish its mission. Be selfish by developing you and unselfish by making sure your strengths serve the team.

3. Share Positive Contagious Energy - When you share positive energy you infectiously enhance the mood, morale and performance of your team. Remember, negativity is toxic.

4. Know and Live the Magic Ratio - Teams that experience positive interactions at a ratio equal or greater that 3:1 are more productive and higher performing than those with a ratio less than 3:1.

5. Put the Team First - Whatever it takes to make the team better. Your ego must be subservient to the mission and purpose of the team.

6. Build Relationships - You can be the smartest person in the room but if you don't connect with others you will fail as a team member.

7. Trust and Be Trusted - Trust is earned through integrity, consistency, honesty, transparency, vulnerability and dependability.

8. Hold Them Accountable - Don't be afraid to hold your team members accountable. But remember to be effective you must build trust and a relationship with your team members.

9. Be Humble - If we are not humble we won't allow ourselves to be accountable. There's tremendous power in humility that makes us and our team better.

Bill Cartwright on Sacrfice and Trust

"Most teams have guys who want to win, but aren't willing to do what it takes. What it takes is to give yourself over to the team and play your part. That may not always make you happy, but you've got to do it. Because when you do, that's when you win."

"A great basketball team will have trust. I've seen teams in this league where the players won't pass to a guy because they don't think he is going to catch the ball. But a great basketball team will throw the ball to everyone. If a guy drops it or bobbles it out of bounds, the next time they'll throw it to him again. And because of their confidence in him, he will have confidence. That's how you grow."


From "Sacred Hoops" by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty

Jay Bilas on Trust

As promised, here are some of my favorite Jay Bilas thoughts on "Trust" 

"Most players believe that accountability means blame. It doesn’t. Accountability is being held to the standard you have accepted as what you want, individually and collectively."

"We can't all be great players, but we can all be great teammates. And the key characteristic of a great teammate is belief." 

"You are not tough alone. The best teams have a collective toughness, and that toughness is contagious."

"There is nothing more powerful, motivating and inspiring than having people in your life, especially you teammates and coaches, truly believe in you."

"Belief is a powerful thing, especially when those around you believe in you. Belief is one of the characteristics that leads to toughness. How can you truly be tough unless you believe in yourself? How can you believe in yourself if those around you do not?"

"It is easy to believe in yourself and your team when everything is going well, and wins are piling up. But what about when you and your team face adversity? Adversity is where your belief is tested, and where true toughness is tested."