The 5 Hallmarks of Great Teams
Christopher D. Connors
Empowering Leaders & Teams to Thrive with Emotional Intelligence | Leadership Speaker | Executive Coach | Bestselling Author
As a lifelong student of the game of basketball and a high school coach, I’ve observed a lot watching the game during my lifetime. I blend my business acumen, gained from my consulting experience, with my knowledge of the game. I’ve developed five, specific criteria that comprise the attributes of great basketball teams. These criteria qualify as the essential attributes of any team- in any industry or profession.
Whether you run a hospital, teach students or serve as a leader in financial services, these are five, handpicked qualities that separate good teams from great teams. I’ve tested these on the basketball court and in the workplace. I hope these key ingredients will inspire you to get your teams to work more efficiently to achieve amazing goals. Here are my five:
1. Camaraderie
Often overlooked, camaraderie between a group of people is my most important hallmark of a great team. Merriam-Webster defines camaraderie as, “a feeling of good friendship among the people in a group.” I have seen this feeling cultivated and transformed into an extremely powerful, positive energy that can carry teams with average talent to great, new heights.
When you care for someone else, you’ll work harder for them and sacrifice for them. The brotherhood of competing together for a prize is special. There is no limit to what a team with great camaraderie can do.
When all players are on the same page, giving maximum effort, teams can enter into a new stage of confidence and maturity. Truly dynamic teams will see dramatic increases in output through the long-lasting respect, admiration, friendship and loyalty earned from shared experiences.
In his book, “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success, Phil Jackson references the book, “Tribal Leadership,” where authors Dave Logan, John King and Halee Fischer-Wright highlight the five stages of Tribal Culture seen here:
The 5 Stages of Tribal Leadership
Jackson focuses specifically on Stages 3-5, from Stage 3 of “I’m great (and you’re not)” to Stage 4 of “We’re great (and they’re not) and last, the highest level- Stage 5 (“Life is great”). He writes about the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls team, that went 72-10, and the remarkable bond this team had.
They weren’t concerned with competing against others, as much as they were concerned with achieving and pursuing the maximum level of greatness possible. Granted, that team had Michael Jordan. Your team will not have Michael Jordan.
But the principles remain the same: Great teams love and care for each other like family. While pursuing the infinite potential of greatness, they make every sacrifice along the way to look out for one another and achieve their goals.
2. Focus On the Moment
Goals are great but, living in the moment and focusing on the task at hand is paramount. Great teams never look too far ahead. Whether the opponent (a competitor, time, adversity, etc.) in front of them is bad or good, great teams prepare and execute with the same level of commitment and energy.
Great teams never underestimate their opponents. Great teams are mentally strong. Jay Bilas, college basketball analyst and author of, Toughness, said:
“Concentration is a skill, and tough players work hard to concentrate on every play.”
Whether you’re a coach, student, entry level employee or executive, concentrate your focus on the task at hand and execute that to the best of your ability. Then, you won’t have to worry about what could have been.
3. The Little Things
“The little things,” are the crucial details that determine the outcomes of games, business deals and projects. In basketball, these are the sacrifices like diving on a loose ball, getting a key offensive rebound or taking a charge. In business, they could be proofreading a key document, adding heartfelt personal touch to a keynote speech or showing sincere appreciation to your co-workers.
“The Little Things” are the tremendously important plays and actions that go unnoticed in the box score, yet capture the attention of coaches, observant fans and your peers. Trust me- these “little things” don’t just happen by chance or luck. They are taught and practiced all the time by the wise coach or leader. These little things make all the difference.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to cover all bases in your teaching and instruction as a coach or leader. Speeches can motivate and emotional language can inspire. But those things alone do not win games. Talent, when mixed with hard work, positive attitude and a willingness to do all the “little things”- that your competitor will not do- create a winner.
Look at your team. Ask yourself, “Am I doing everything that I can to be great? Or am I only focusing on certain core areas? A comprehensive check-up of your team will allow you to identify all of the methods and actions you can integrate into your teaching, so that it will show up when the lights come on for game time.
4. Commitment to a Goal
Great teams begin each season, project or fiscal year with a very specific end-goal in mind. In basketball, this is winning their division, or even a championship. In business, it could be reaching a new revenue goal or adding a new product to the line.
A goal can also be an improvement, in terms of wins and losses, from the year before. Goals can be measured by key metrics that address specific statistics for a given game or season. For example, during one of my seasons coaching basketball in New York City, I put down three, key areas that we needed to master, in order to win games:
- Get to the foul line and make more free throws than our opponent
- Win the battle of the boards- out-rebound our opponent
- Take care of the ball- minimize our turnovers
I find that one or more of these three keys often decide the outcome of basketball games. By focusing diligently on these three keys before each game, we came out on top more often than not.
When planning for your season, project or board meeting, never leave any stone unturned. Brainstorm all of the things you need to do in order to be successful. Then, have an overarching main goal, along with several other sub-goals you aspire to accomplish. Measure yourself against these goals, to make sure your performance is in line with your expectations.
5. Attitude and Effort
Last, but not least at no. 5 is, Attitude and Effort. This knowledge comes from my second assistant coaching assignment. There are two things you always have control over: your attitude and your effort. I define having a positive attitude as being willing to do whatever it takes to make your teammates and yourself a better competitor.
People with great attitudes are empathetic, caring people who are mentally tough. Mental toughness involves putting others before yourself, never giving up and taking accountability for your performance.
Industriousness, or maximum effort, requires giving every ounce of yourself toward living in the moment- to be the best that you can be. Maximum effort is living up to your own definition of success- the only one that should ever matter. There are very few guarantees in life. One approach I’ve learned that will assure your success is this:
- Live with a positive attitude
- Work hard and
- Never, ever give up.
If you rely on this approach, you will see positive results. Everyone meets with temporary defeat on occasion but persistent people power through by relying on a positive attitude and great work ethic. The more people you have on your team who embody these qualities, the greater your chances are at reaching your goals!