What Makes a Great Team

About a month ago, I watched a video about the San Antonio Spur's philosophy. Please take a few minutes and watch it from a leadership perspective, rather than a sports perspective.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=694340777299682&fref=nf

     *You may need to open this using Chrome

That's a cool video, but now what?

There is one thing that I would like you to take away from this video --- a Team First Mentality. I know, that is a lofty topic coming out of a sports video, but here it goes.

Team First Mentality: When a player can put their trust in the team and decide to put the team's goals over their own, great things happen (most of the time). Why only most of the time? Because it takes hard work, perseverance, and feedback to get all the way there. Your responsibility as a leader is to ensure your teams get all the way there. Here are a few ideas to help you:

• Each and every person on the team has to understand the direction, buy into that direction, and be 100% committed to that direction.
• Everyone must believe in the direction and each other which involves a lot of trust.
• Each teammate must act unselfishly by helping others succeed (the team's goals before personal goals).
• When a teammate is not meeting expectations (either with performance or putting themselves first), you must provide delta or corrective feedback.
• When a teammate is meeting or exceeding expectations give them plus/positive feedback (celebrate). 

As the leader, you set the tone. The team will follow your lead (with words and actions).  

• Great examples of this from the video are:
• Tim Duncan requesting Gregg Popovich coach him just like every other player
• Tim Duncan pulling Tony Parker away from another player and the referee 

A leader's job is to spend time with SAM and GRAD:

Setting Direction

Aligning Resources

Motivating

Goal setting

Regular feedback

Accountability and Measurement

Development

Whether you are leading a small team or a big team, if you are the primary leader or are a supporting leader; leverage SAM/GRAD and your team will be more successful.

Remember One Interstates, One Service; and lead the Interstates Way!!

It's Your Choice

Seth Godin shared these thoughts in his blog recently in a post named 'Your Choice'.

You can read it directly from Seth here:

Or, I you can read it here.

Your Choice
    Habits are a choice
    Giving is a choice
    Reactions are a choice
    Ideas are a choice
    Connections are a choice
    Reputation is a choice
    The work is a choice
    Words are a choice
    Leading is a choice

No one can be responsible for where or how we each begin. No one has the freedom to do anything or everything, and all choices bring consequences. What we choose to do next, though, how to spend our resources or attention or effort, this is what defines us.

Today, there is something that you need to choose. Will you choose the option that…

Redirects your bad habit into a new positive one?
Gives of your time or knowledge to someone else who will grow from your gift?
Responds with grace to the situation at hand?
Contributes to the pool of ideas that will initiate change for the better?
Builds connections with others within your world?
Enhances someone's reputation, not tearing it down?
Requires extra work effort to create that extraordinary experience?
Says a kind or supportive word in place of stinging or destructive words to those you love?
Leads to a better ending?

What you choose today, starts to define your tomorrow.
Keep leading the Interstates Way!
Scott Peterson