Honoring the “I” in Team: The Paradoxical Key to Strong Organizations

I’m sure you have heard the famous expression, “There is no ‘I’ in team.” It may surprise you to know that, as a leader, I have hardly any use for this phrase. As I see it, every leader ought to recognize that the?only?thing their team is made up of is a bunch of I’s, and that their job as a leader is to ensure that there is no conflict between the objectives of the former and the latter.

I believe the role of a leader is to create an environment in which each member of the team—each “I” that the team actually comprises—is inspired to collaborate toward achieving the team’s objectives. This is done not by subordinating the goals of the individual to those of the team, but rather by ensuring that these goals are one and the same. In doing so, leaders show their people that they can achieve together what none of them can achieve alone, and the organization thrives as a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

What leaders should?not?be doing, however, is trying to convince individuals that their needs don’t matter, or setting up a false dichotomy between the goals of individuals and the goals of the organization. Trying to convince team members to abandon their personal needs sends the message that they don’t matter as individuals, which in turn makes any attempt to rally them toward some common goal seem hollow, hypocritical, and exploitative. Likewise, placing individuals in situations where they feel the need to choose between their own goals and those of the organization is an abdication of leadership that offers nothing, asks for everything, and ultimately benefits no one. The truth is, having to constantly remind your people that “there is no ‘I’ in team” is a sign of failed leadership, not a lack of “team spirit.”

As a case in point, you may have seen the viral video that came out last week of the CEO who was recorded telling her employees to stop asking if they were going to get a bonus and just deliver the results! The famous line from this “peptalk” was, “You can visit Pity City but you can’t live there!” Said another way, “There is no ‘I’ in team! Stop thinking about yourself and focus on the company’s goals!”

Needless to say, that message went over like a lead balloon and it made the CEO, who reportedly received a $4 million bonus last year, look like she was completely out of touch, and rightly so. Even worse than a well-meaning call to sacrifice for the common good, this came off as a case of, “There is no ‘I’ in team…except for me!”

The truth is that if you, as a leader, have created an environment in which the goals of the organization line up with the goals of the individual, then people will naturally put the needs of the team “ahead” of their own. In that situation, there is no need for your to remind people to sacrifice for the team, because there is no conflict that prevents them from doing so. However, if you have?not?created such an environment, there is no?point?in reminding people to sacrifice for the team, and doing so only serves to create more resentment and distrust and resistance to collaboration.

I would propose that strong teams recognize that they are?only?made up of individuals with needs, desires, talents, contributions, strengths, opportunities for improvement, and all other unique characteristics—without which the team would not exist. I would also propose that good leaders recognize, paradoxically, that the needs of the individual must come?before?the needs of the team, if that team is to be strong.

When people are told that they need to give and give and give and not worry about getting what’s important to them, they feel they need to protect themselves. When people have to choose between their own needs and the needs of the team, they will either burn themselves out for the latter or naturally choose to focus on their own needs to the exclusion of everything else.

We would be so much better off guiding each individual to get in touch with their unique contribution and the intrinsic value they expect to receive in addition to the extrinsic rewards we provide them. This is not to imply that the workplace exists solely to meet everyone’s individual needs, but I believe that without doing so, an organization has little chance of sustainably achieving its own goals. I have witnessed over and over again, that when individuals—the I’s on the team—feel honored?as?individuals and not just mere instruments to produce results, they freely and enthusiastically go above and beyond to achieve the common objectives of the team.

Organizational transformations are built on moments of truth, in which individuals decide that it is in their best interest to embrace the common objectives of the organization as their own and willingly invest their discretionary effort to make them happen. I believe that, as leaders, we should never forget that it is our privilege to create these moments of truth for our organizations, and it is our responsibility to do so for our people. If you’re interested, I’d love to chat with you about how we can make this happen in your organization.

If there are topics you find to be of special value to you, or if you’d just like to get in touch and chat about what’s going on with you, simply reply to this newsletter or send me an email at?[email protected].?If you’re experiencing challenges that you would like my perspective on, or you’d like to explore how we can partner with you to support you in your transformative journey, please?click here?to schedule a call with me.?I’d love to hear from you.

10 Steps to Career Fulfillment and World Peace

Creating the conditions in which everyone is committed to going above and beyond the call of duty to achieve the team’s objectives requires intentional effort on the part of each individual as well as their leaders. There are leadership behaviors that contribute to creating such an environment and behaviors that detract from it. Likewise, it is each individual’s responsibility to seek and create clarity on their expectations of a successful and fulfilling career.

In this article, I make several actionable suggestions as to how you, as an individual, no matter where you are on the organizational chart, can reach that clarity. The suggestions in this article can also be used by leaders to support their team members in achieving success and fulfillment, both individually and for the team.

Get in touch!

What have you noticed about the culture, and especially the language, of your workplace? Is it empowering or defeating? Is it self-focused or others-focused? Are others aware of it, or has it gone unnoticed by most? Have you been able to make a clear connection between the language, culture, results, and morale, or is the connection still a little fuzzy for you? I’d love to know what you came up with, so?feel free to reply with your thoughts.

Also, if you answered “yes” (or “no!”) to any of the questions above, I’d love to partner with you in the process of creating an extraordinary culture that delivers breakthrough results and unprecedented fulfillment. If you are interested in learning more about how The Ghannad Group can partner with you to transform your culture,?click here?to schedule a discovery call with me.?During our conversation, we can discuss your specific situation and I’ll share my ideas and insight relative to the questions you have.??

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