Why Discomfort is the Strongest Catalyst for Team Growth

If you want team growth, you have to find a way to make your people feel a bit of discomfort. The most powerful catalyst for individual or team development is getting people out of their comfort zone and experiencing or doing something new. I once had a basketball player who had always played guard and […]

25 Funny Questions to Get to Know Your Team

If you want to get to know your team better, the first thing you need to do is ask them about their past, their passions, and their purpose for being there. But while that conversation will help you understand why they are on the team and what they plan to contribute, it will likely not […]

3 Ideas to Create a Culture Where People Will Grow

In an ideal world, every leader would be able to choose only the best people who were best suited for specific tasks and who always interacted well with their teammates. But most leaders do not live in an ideal world…  Leaders in the real world do not always get to choose the seeds that they […]

The Impact of Teamwork and Steve Jobs’ Parable of Rocks

Steve Jobs, in a 1995 interview, was discussing the importance and impact of teamwork, and it was during that discussion that he shared a short parable of rocks and how they polish each other: “When I was a young kid there was a widowed man that lived up the street. He was in his eighties. He was […]

Three Powerful “F” Words to Use With Difficult Teammates

Everyone, at some point, has dealt with difficult teammates who seem to hold onto damaging beliefs or continually sabotage team progress with negative behaviors… For those individuals that you would like to help change, there are three powerful “F” words that you will find useful in future conversations. And, yes, all three of them are […]

Improve Team Toughness With No-Win Situations

Team toughness is something every coach wants to improve. Surprisingly, one of the most significant coaching and leadership lessons I have ever learned about building team toughness was inspired by something I saw on Star Trek. Seeing the “Kobayashi Maru” training exercise is where I first recognized the value of using no-win situations to test […]

Create a Herd Mentality to Crash Through Team Distractions

Everyone is aware of the term “herd mentality,” and has likely seen instances where individuals adopt a very different behavior or attitude to crash through distractions as part of a larger group. Whether it is a herd of buffalo, cattle, antelope, or reindeer, we have heard of how animals congregate and findstrength and comfort in […]

The Promise and Issues of Outstanding Teams

Do you know what it means to truly be outstanding? Those who seek to be part of an outstanding team must go into the experience with open eyes, knowing that there will be great promise but also many issues that they will encounter as well. Outstanding teams are by their definition teams who STAND OUT. […]

3 Tips to Help You Manage Virtual Teams More Effectively

Increasingly, people now work together as virtual teams and therefore require more effective management to keep the group focused and feeling connected. Teamwork is still defined as the coordinated activities of a cohesive group who contribute diverse skills and resources to accomplish a compelling common goal , but throughout corporate world, the nature of teams […]

Why Great Teammates Accept No Excuses

One of the most important skills to be a good teammate and improve mental toughness involves the decision to set high expectations and never make or accept excuses. Winners are both intentional and accountable.  Whatever your goal and whoever is on your team, your success will be determined by how willing you are to say […]