Team, Team, Team!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 21 of 21

Today, I'm grateful for: My Leadership Team

“Team, team, team!” Those are the words of coach Norman Dale in the classic movie Hoosiers. Coach Dale was committed to the notion that a winning team exists when the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. As leaders, we similarly strive to build and lead high-performing teams that leverage each others’ strengths, cover for each others’ soft spots, accomplish great things and hopefully have some fun along the way. As leaders, we also know that what our organizations accomplish will be almost totally determined by the quality and capability of our teams.

As leaders, we know that what our organizations accomplish will be almost totally determined by the quality and capability of our teams.

None of us have singular responsibilities and you can’t accomplish much on your own. I was reminded last week how grateful I am to have a terrific team. I have a few leaders in new roles and we braved the “Zoom” world to attempt a “kick-off” and team building session. I’m glad we did and I’m profoundly grateful for the leaders on my team: Sandy Botcher, Vasco Bridges, Marisue Fasick, Kevin Konopa, Loren Morris, Rebecca Porter, Chuck Pruett, John Roberts, and Sarah Schneider. I also am grateful for our critical partners, my ace HR business partner, Kelly Culler, my tireless communications lead, Toni Czajka, and my incomparable EA, Linda Lynch.

If you click through these links you will see incredible resumes, including lots of great business schools and outstanding accomplishments inside and outside of Northwestern Mutual. What is more important to me than the great resumes, however, is that this team is loaded with character and people who care. 

What is more important to me than the great resumes, however, is that this team is loaded with character and people who care.

In my experience, that is an unstoppable combination. I’m grateful for the terrific accomplishments of this team in 2020 and I’m even more excited about what we can and will do in the years ahead. 

Thanks team!!