If you read my last post, How many teams are you on? More than you think., you realize you’re on a lot of teams. Today, I want to help you discover how to be a better teammate.
In my earlier post, I provided some tips. I also suggested you could read my blog and subscribe to my weekly email newsletter to improve.
Those recommendations are a good start, but I’ve got another one that will help you even more.
It’s simple and it doesn’t take much time.
While it’s not complex, it could, as the title suggests, take you to the highest level as a team player.
Ready to hear the magic, rock-your-world solution?
Let me share a not-so-secret secret with you first.
I don’t have any truly original material
What I’m going to share with you isn’t material that I created on my own.
In fact, that’s true of all the content in my blog. I gather information, synthesize it, and present it in my unique style. In that sense, it’s original.
At the core, however, all of “my” thoughts and ideas are a collection of outside inputs that entered my brain at some point in my life.
Sometimes I can identify how I came up with a thought or an idea. Most times I can’t.
In today’s post, I can definitely point to a major influence of how I think about being a better teammate.
That’s my disclaimer before I share “my” solution. It’s not really “my” solution.
Read “The Ideal Team Player”
What’s this rock-your-world solution?
Read the book The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni.
Seriously. That’s it.
The picture probably gave it away didn’t it?
You can stop reading this blog now and just go get the book if you want.
I won’t be offended.
Don’t like to read books? You’ve got options.
The book is short and easy to read, but maybe you aren’t a reader. I get it.
If reading a book is a barrier for you, here are some other great options. Most are free!
- Buy the audio book [affiliate link]
- Watch Patrick Lencioni’s 13 minute TEDx talk
- Download the free summary provided by the author (an exceptional resource to keep handy)
- Explore the many resources offered on the official website for The Ideal Team Player
- Listen to this Coaching for Leaders podcast – How to Get the Ideal Team Player, with Patrick Lencioni (one of my favorite podcasts and episodes)
I highly recommend that you do all of these. Or just one of these. You won’t regret it.
Of course, if you’d like to hear more of my perspective, keep reading.
Why am I such a fan of The Ideal Team Player?
Why all the hype for this book?
Is Patrick Lencioni a close personal friend of mine?
I wish. He’s one of my favorite authors and seems like a great guy.
I hope to meet him someday.
Maybe I’ll even have him on my podcast when I get it started (dream big, right?)
But, I’ve never met Mr. Lencioni or Patrick or Pat. Maybe only his close friends call him Pat?
See?
I don’t even know what to call him.
Am I making money off this?
Well, to be transparent, I hope so.
As I disclose openly per FTC guidelines (see the note in small print in the footer down there?), I use affiliate programs to help fund what I do.
What’s an affiliate program?
Basically, if I have a link and you click through and make a purchase within a short time period, I may get a small commission.
You don’t pay any more if you use the link, but I get a little income to pay for things like a website hosting service.
For example, if you purchase The Ideal Team Player through this link, I will earn a small amount. You pay nothing extra.
So the answer is I might be making money. But not a lot.
And that’s not why I’m writing this post.
Do I believe in the message of the book?
Ding! Ding! Ding! That’s my motivation.
One of my main goals is to connect people to useful information and resources.
The Ideal Team Player is extremely valuable and I want you to know about it.
I’ll explain why I feel so strongly about the book’s message in a short series of posts covering the 3 Virtues of The Ideal Team Player [affiliate link].
Be watching for those posts in the next few weeks.
While you’re waiting, I encourage you to take advantage of the resources I’ve listed.
Trust me. If you apply The Ideal Team Player concepts, you will be a better teammate.
Let’s do something great.
Greg
Discussion Questions
- Which resource can you use today to be a better teammate?
- Who can you share this post with to help them grow and improve?
I’m interested to know what you appreciated most from the resources I highlighted. Please share your thoughts in the comments section so we can learn together.
