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Being the best team member

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Being the best means that every team member is committed to doing "whatever it takes." Once the performance bar to be the best is set ... it becomes every team member's performance bar. It is everyone's responsibility to ensure that fellow team members hold up their portion of the bar - even if it means holding up more than your share when another team member can't. There is nothing idealistic about what it takes for a team to be the best. "No compromise" is the team mantra.

Here are my ten No-Compromise Leadership tenets for being the best team member:


  1. Be your best: You made it on the team because the team believed in your potential. Now it's time to show up and perform. Now it's time to deliver. The team didn't hire you to be late, to procrastinate, to give excuses, to test the rules, to avoid work or create drama. The team doesn't care if you're a Millennial, Gen Y, Baby Boomer, black, white, gay, straight or transgender ... the team wants to be the best and expects you to be, and bring, your best everyday. And if your current best is not enough, the team will help you, train you and coach you. Anything less than your best is a compromise.

  2. Help others be their best: Everyone brings special talents and skills to the team. When another team member is struggling, it is your responsibility to reach out your hand and help in any way you can. If it's a skill or performance challenge, coach and train your fellow team members. If it's a confidence issue, help them find their strength and belief in their abilities. Teams that want to be the best excel at helping and supporting each other. Anything less is a compromise.

  3. Step up or step out: No compromise means, "If it needs to be done - get it done." Being the best team member means stepping up without hesitation. It means putting yourself out there to take on a challenge or fix a problem. When an individual continually steps back to let others carry the load, it's time for that individual to step out. When a team wants to be the best, it cannot tolerate any weak links. Anything less is a compromise.

  4. Ask for help sooner: Being the best means the pace is fast and the focus is on the road ahead. If you're struggling and falling behind, ask for help sooner rather than later. The team will adjust, support you and get you up to speed. On a great team, asking for help is an expectation, not a sign of weakness. In fact, asking for help sooner is the key to maintaining a fast pace. Ask too late and the team has to decide to stop or drop you. Anything less is a compromise.

  5. Respect and trust: It is every team member's responsibility to honor and respect, not only their team members ... but what the team stands for as well. Lack of respect, in any form, is a compromise. Lack of respect to the rules, policies and standards is a compromise. And nothing wrecks teamwork faster than distrust. The moment one team member has reason not to trust another; the team begins to self-destruct. It is your responsibility to earn trust everyday by delivering what you promise, by doing your job and by protecting the integrity of the team. Anything less is a compromise.

  6. Say something: People are people and sometimes they drift outside the rules or accepted behavior of the team. It is everyone's responsibility to respectfully call out another team member when his or her actions or behavior compromise the integrity of the team. There's nothing wrong with saying, "This isn't how we do things here." Too often, team members wait for the leader to address it. Teamwork is about shared accountability and stepping up. Say something. Anything less is a compromise.

  7. Live your role: Everyone brings unique talents, skills, thinking and behavior to the team and their role and position on the team. It is your responsibility to live your role to the best of your ability each day. Not everything can be defined on a job description. Living your role means being passionate and committed about your work. Living your role is about ensuring that your personal link in the team's chain is strong and can be counted on when put under heavy load and stress. Anything less is a compromise.

  8. Oldies and newbies: Senior members on the team have a responsibility to each and every newbie's success. Senior members are the keepers of the vision and protectors of the culture. Senior members' skills and processes are finely honed and time tested. Senior members are the essential "pay it forward" part of the team. Newbies are the future and newbies bring energy and fresh thinking to the team. Yes, senior members learn from newbies too. For a company and a team to endure, getting the oldie/newbie dynamic right is a non-negotiable. Anything less is a compromise.

  9. Loners should be alone: Some people are loners and don't play well with others ... especially on teams. Some loners can adapt and find their place on a team. Loners can be talented and amazingly high achievers, but when their performance is achieved at the expense of teamwork, team performance will suffer. Loners that are allowed to occupy a place on a team will always be the elephant in the living room. Allowing a loner to continue on a team will create a double standard that will degrade the performance of the entire team. Team players belong on your team. Anything less is a compromise.

  10. Beyond your wildest dreams: The very nature of a team that is striving to be the best lifts everyone to a place of extraordinary opportunity. One of the major benefits to individuals that play on dynamic teams is how quickly they can progress to achieving their full potential. Career paths expand rapidly. Income potential increases. New skills and responsibilities are within reach. It is all possible because the team that wants to be the best is really a group of individuals that discovered the power of shared accountability. Anything less is a compromise.


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