Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.

I often meet people who show a little resistance when the topic moves to humility. Humility is seen by many as a weakness; that you don't want something for yourself, your life or others...

... But nothing could be further from the truth, because?humility?is actually one of the most important virtues for?an ideal team player.?Another important virtue is to be hungry - to want something - to be self-driven and self-motivated. The third and final virtue is?talent.?

You will know these three virtues if you have followed us at INNER ACTION or read Patrick Lencioni and the story of good teamwork.?

From the world of sports, I know the concepts of?speed, strength and coordination, and I would immediately compare these three qualities to humility, hunger and talent in?any company?- they are certainly essential when we at INNER ACTION work on developing teams and optimizing performance.?

One of the most fundamental skills to have, in order to be successful in life is that of being a team player.

We all see ourselves as a natural team player, but in practice it turns out that there are many things that don't quite add up in that self-perception.?

Indeed, both the concepts of teamwork and team player require a clear definition of what good behavior is, and how to achieve it. As with anything, it comes more naturally to some than to others, but the fact is, that it takes practice to keep being one of the best.?

So, let's dive into the virtues of the ideal team player who succeeds with others.

Humility

If you want to be successful, you should be humble and remember to highlight your team players and your joint achievements over your own. Remember to praise, but you must also mean it. Your status in the team is not important to anyone but you and your ego, because what we often forget is that the success of the team is an essential factor in your success and the success of others - the success of the team is above your own.?

You must remember to praise, but you also have to mean it...

If we are speaking of leadership, it's worth noting, that it's a total NO GO to tolerate team members who don't exhibit the proper humility. If you experience this as a leader, you need to act immediately - for the sake of the team!

Hunger

When you are hungry, you are self-driven, self-motivated and you put in that little extra needed in challenging situations. Conversely, your work must never become your identity, and you must be constantly aware that the tasks you perform are for the good of the team.

If you combine your hunger with the five dysfunctions of a team, be aware of your own behavior when team performance is lacking. It doesn't help to run solo because others in the team may not perform like you.?

If you experience performance loss in the team - that someone is becoming short of breath - then it is essential that you prioritise constructive, critical dialogue first and thus engage in an improving conversation with team members who are lacking behind.

Talent

Talent from this perspective has nothing to do with your intellectual capacity. It has much more to do with your common sense and your dealings with other people.?

Talent is being able to act effectively in a group, so that you are a contributing team player who resolves conflicts intuitively. You ask questions, you listen, and you maintain focus and empathy in every conversation. You must avoid being impulsive and rash in your statements, and instead always know what reaction your statements will produce in your team members.

It may not always be easy, but as with everything else in life:?

If you have the will, it can be trained

Will is essential?

All three virtues are essential behavioural factors in a team, but the combinations of how much or how little each team member can contribute are of course many. The fortunate thing is that once there is focus and clarity on the areas of challenge, it is possible to train the areas that need to be developed.?

If you have the will, it can be trained - it doesn't come naturally, and you are never done training.

And we can develop - individually and together. All it really takes is the will. If you have the will, it can be trained - I know that, because that's one of the things we work on purposefully at INNER ACTION.

REMEMBER!

Personal virtues are not a constant.?

They need to be maintained, developed, challenged, and lived out

?- every day.

Think big, realistic thoughts about yourself, and think them further into the teams you are part of on a daily basis.?

I guarantee you that it will bring results.