As a culture, we talk a lot about the importance of teamwork and collaboration. Those are certainly important concepts and critical to any organization's success, but every team is made up of individual contributors. Therefore, both individual contribution and teamwork are critical to success. Legendary basketball coach Phil Jackson summarized this balance well when he noted, “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” We know that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and it has been said that a team is only as strong as its weakest member. In this article, I will briefly discuss the importance of recognizing the role that each individual plays on the team and how that individual can contribute to chasing greatness with the rest of the team.
Own Your Role
Owning one's role is the cornerstone of personal accountability. As author Dan Clark says in The Art of Significance, we all should focus on winning, not just on being a team player. This doesn’t mean that teamwork isn’t important, but rather that the team’s victory relies on each person excelling in their individual role. Clark notes, “Winning is a mentality pursued and possessed by individuals that gives rise in turn to superior team performance.” The individuals on winning teams take their commitment seriously and do the things necessary to better themselves so that they can contribute more to the team.
Legendary football coach Nick Saban emphasized this idea when he said, “Each person must defeat the opponent across from him, so the team can win the overall battle.” It’s about contribution, not just participation. A friend of mine’s son was on the football practice squad at Alabama under Coach Saban, and he shared with me just how seriously every role is taken. His son was a third-string practice squad player, but the level of excellence expected was just as high as that of a starting player.
Excellence in Execution
Excellence is not a single act, but a habit, and it’s the small things done well that make a big difference. Business thought leader Jim Collins echoes this in his principle of the 'Flywheel Effect' — where consistent hard work and improvement create momentum that leads to breakthrough results. In a team, when each individual perfects their roles, the group is not just spinning wheels; they are accelerating towards significance, not just success. If a company wants to be great, then each person needs to be on their own journey, excelling at what they do. Each person should want to be continually learning and growing, looking for ways to make themselves and the organization better every day. Excellence in execution is about executing on the fundamentals day in and day out; that is what creates greatness.
Synergy in Action
This leads me to synergy — the combined power that exceeds the sum of individual efforts. It’s what happens when a basketball team's diverse skills merge to outplay a seemingly stronger opponent, or when a symphony orchestra's array of instruments comes together to create a masterpiece. When a company brings together a group of highly talented people who are committed to excellence and who own their individual roles, it can become a united force that is unstoppable. Each company has a mission to fulfill in their industry, and it is up to its people to embrace and accomplish that mission for the betterment of all involved.
Conclusion
So, a good place to start is to recommit to your role with this understanding: Your daily tasks, done with dedication and skill, are the individual notes in the grand symphony of your company's mission. Make a commitment to being a high achiever to elevate the rest of the team. Together, you are not just a team; you are champions in the making. Go achieve greatness together!
