What makes a Legendary Team ?

An hour with a C.E.O. I have always admired, and two questions that he asked his Staff in their quarterly newsletters which were lying on the coffee table in the Reception, have stimulated me to write about “the Fully Functional Team “

The questions he posed, were: “Why are we doing what we are doing?”  and  “ Looking back, did you grow ?”

So what makes a legendary team?  For nearly four decades the All Blacks have dominated World Rugby and their secret was just one question that was asked before a new player was welcomed into the team and given his ALL BLACK jersey. 

“Would he pass the ball to me to score the try?”If the answer was not a unanimous “Yes “ the player, however competent was not considered. In fact, competence, fitness, strength and speed, natural flair, energy and attitude were taken for granted. You did not get close to selection without them in abundance!

What really mattered was Trust! How does Trust form and grow?   By a mutual, deep sharing of the answers to three crucial  human questions 

The first was made simple for us by the Bushmen who talk of two Hungers. The Little Hunger and the Great Hunger. The Little Hunger is the journey to “ fill the belly”…a task that preoccupies most of us most of the time. But the Great Hunger is the journey to find Meaning.

To find and be able to share, my unique answer to the question “why am I doing what I am doing ? “. What is my Meaning ?”  What makes me grow ?”

The second is  “How do I behave in my relationships?”  and  “How will I treat you ?” Since my behaviour is driven by the pictures or paradigms I carry firmly inside my being, we need to be sure that we have the same or very similar pictures so that our behaviour towards one another is predictable and acceptable. These shared pictures are often described as Values, and enshrined in fancy words that do not necessarily reflect reality! They need to be authentic !?

The third question is “Can I trust you?”   Can I trust you to be as honest with me, as I surely will be with you?  And that answer is not given in words …it’s gut feel! 

When we are privileged to share in a team building exercise at a deep and sustainable level, we use the metaphor of Leopards and Lions. Leopards are fiercely independent and very successful with relatively small prey…lions hunt together and have a monopoly in the buffalo market. Leopard behaviour in a Lion Pride would be short lived and fatal ….and Lions that behaved like Leopards would not last in the Pride either.

But properly taught,  intelligent humans can behave like Leopards when that behaviour is called for…and also like Lions when being a part of a successful and caring team is what they need .

It is that learning that we share… and share in an unusual, lively way…so that it becomes sustainable.

 

How can we help you and your team build a new togetherness to meet the current challenges you are facing.  

Colin and Steve. 

 

Contact us at Learning to Lead and let’s together create a fully functional team!

Colin Hall  colinh@ltl.co.za  +27 082 5687887
Steve Hall steveh@ltl.co.za +27(0)82 568 7894