Abstract
In The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate Three Essential Virtues , Patrick Lencioni offers his opinion on what team builders should look for in an ideal team. The author reckons that t hree chief virtues are essential for success . The three are humility, hunger for success, and smartness. In this regard, Lencioni argues that success can be achieved “…if we bring humble, hungry, and smart people together and give them clarity about what needs to be done” (Lencioni, 2016, p. 116). In his argument, t he author notes that business leaders who recognize, employ, and nurture employees with these three virtues have a significant advantage over those who do not. Based on its contents, t h is book was authored to assist the targeted audience, who are business owners, managers, and leaders to understand the three fundamental attributes and support them to build effective teams quickly. Consequently, building such teams aids in eliminat ing unnecessary costs and the challenges that may aris e owing to negative office politics, employee morale problems, and high rates of turnove r.
In this book, Lencioni uses a hypothetical example to offer a model of Valley Builder, a construction firm. Using this example, he illustrates and explains the ideal team and highlights how these concepts can be applied. The fable used to explain these concepts and virtues is about Jeff Shanley, a leader who is committed to saving a company owned by his uncle. His uncle is forced to retire due to medical conditions, and Jeff is charged with the responsibility of restor ing a culture of teamwork within the organization. In the narrative , Jeff retires as a CEO of a Silicon Valley company and is ready to overturn things at his uncle’s company. Immediately after his uncle ’s retirement, Jeff is given t he responsibility of hiring sixty workers to make sure that two new projects are successful. Working closely with other managers in the organization, Jeff decide s to hire excellent team players and individuals who are ready to collaborate. Therefore, the biggest lesson to be learned from this case is the need for leaders t o identify and bring on board candidates who are prepared to work with their colleagues as a team . For instance, the author reckons that “ Those who don’t have all three virtues are going to require significantly more time, attention, and patience from their managers ” ( Lencioni, 2016, p. 1 66).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The narration has eighteen questions that are used to establish whether an applicant i s humble, hungry, and smart. A humble work er is not only able to compliment others and admit mistakes , but he or she also share s credit with team members where possible. On the other hand, an individual who is hungry for success is ready to dedicate more time to his work and assigned tasks. A hungry worker is also passionate about fulfilling the goal s or objectives of the team. S mart individuals can understand the feelings of others, show empathy, and demonstrate an interest in the lives of the ir workmates (Lencioni, 2016). Notably, a smart workmate demonstrates a high level of emotional intelligence. The book portrays Lencioni a s an outstanding storyteller . In this regard, the author en gages his audience and ensures that they stay attentive to get the outcome of the drama that unfolds. T he book is short while the fable makes it easy to grasp the concepts and apply them in real life settings. In summary, Lencioni underscores the need for three essential virtues that every competent team player must possess . The virtues of hum ility , hung er for success , and smart ness are undeniably crucial to the building of effective teams .
Concrete Response
As I was reading this book , I remembered an instance in high school when we were required to work in a group to complete an English project. My group was comprised of six members in , and each had to take up a particular secti on of assignment and ensure that his or her part was well done before being c ombined with those completed by other s. Compilation of all sections was thus required before submitting the assignment to the instructor. The concepts and qualities explained in this book have reminded me of this instance because we experienced significant challenges while working on the assignment as a group. As we were allocat ing roles in the group, no one was willing to take up the most complex aspects of the task. I was appointed the group leader and ensured that people worked together to promote the project ’s success. Despite these efforts , managing the group was still challenging because some members were not humble enough to admit their weaknesses and the roles they could undertake comfortably. Moreover, most of the members lacked the hunger and passion for contributing to the assignment and thus excel as a group . I t was also clear that these individuals preferred handl ing their sections on their own , in which case quality would not be guaranteed.
To mobilize the group towards a common goal, I had to come up with incentives and create a platform where all members could freely share their research and analysis. I remember telling the group members that “We must work together and share our insights for this project to succeed. This requires openness and humility, clearly understanding that nobody knows everything.” Subsequently, w e resolved as a team to engage and work alongside each other as we conducted individual research based on the requirements of the assignment. The group project was eventually successful because people agreed to be humble themselves and share whatever they have gathered during their personal research. Likewise , the team ’s success can be attributed to the insights contributed by each member. Members willing ly admit ted their mistakes and the fact that they would have approached the assignmen t differently if they had worked as a team from the start . Throughout the assignment, each member ’s contribution was valued, and the outcome was tha t the team’s performance was stellar . We could not have achieved this if the group members did not humble themselves and work as a team to complete the assignment.
Reflection
While the insights and concepts presented in the book are valuable, it would have been more convincing if Lencioni backed his arguments with research. It is evident that teamwork and team building issues in an organization al setting ha ve been researched extensively and the literature is widely available. Thus, o ne thing that bothers me is th e fact that the author did not refer to or backed his insights with scholarly research . Nevertheless, i t is clear that the concepts shared in this book are highly beneficial (Hallam, 2016). Great team players lack unnecessary ego and concerns about their status. Subsequently , such individual s are willing to acknowledge the contributions of other s and do not invest most of their time seeking attention. While it is crucial for an individual to place emphasis the team rather than self, I think that it is also important to acknowledge individual efforts. Every individual is useful to an organization, and his or her contribution makes a significant contribution in achieving organizational objectives. Therefore, although managers must seek to empower people to work as a team, there is a need to acknowledge each member ’s efforts rather than the sheer promotion of teamwork.
The three qualities are essential and must be considered by managers and leaders during the recruitment process. Although people must be hungry and passionate in order to achieve the objectives of the ir team, there is a need to create appropriate roles within the team to avoid duplication of efforts . At the same organizational leaders should strive to offer clear guidance for the optimal performance of their teams . In the book , Lencioni emphasizes the qualities of an ideal team without highlighting the need for proper lead ership , role assigning, and evaluation of team success . T he ideas presented are good but are only applicable from a single perspective of the team effectiveness. Moreover, w hile people should be hungry and passionate about their work, they must also clearly understand the extent of their responsibilities to minimize conflict of interest within the team (Sorcher & Brant, 2002). This clarity can only be achieved via solid and responsive leadership.
Action
Reading this book has helped me to gain important insights that I can apply in my life to ensure that I become more effective. As a church leader, I am mandated to mobilize workers and ensure that people are ready to support the church mission. It is also vital for a church to avoid internal conflicts to ensure that programs run smoothly as people exercise their gifts. Thus , I am expected to lead by example and show people the qualities of a good team player. This book is helpful in highlighting what a good leader should look like even as he or she looks for team players. First, I have learned that as a leader, I must exercise humility and incorporate other s during the decision making processes in the church. Another insight that is valuable in my life is the ability to be smart and understand the needs of others. Based on this, I will devote my time to understand ing other people’s experiences and empathizing with their situations. As the leader, I must ensure that I create an appropriate environment for people to fellowship and serve each other. I will create this environment by establishing open forums where people can offer their opinions and give feedback about the core issues affecting the team. There is also a need for consistent information sharing within the team about the progress of ongoing projects and what must be done to avoid obstacles. I will make sure that we conduct weekly meetings to gather feedback a nd reassess the approach used in the key programs.
To create seamless coordination between the members, I will encourage socialization and cultivate open communication between all team members. This will ensure that all the processes involved in the execution of church programs are organized and the goals are clearly defined. I will also ensure that the team has time to socializ e. I will achieve this by organizing retreats and parties during which team members can celebrate the ir achievements and share experiences before embarking on the subsequent stage s of work. Such a move will also ensure that there is a work-life- balanc e which vital for the members’ well-being. The move is also a way of appreciating the contributions of each individual and creates space for personal interaction outside the pressure of work. Moreover, I will work hard to develop programs that will become traditions for the team and ensure that there is a unified culture. The process of hiring and adopting new members in the group should be a team responsibility, and every person must identify and clearly understand the role of the new member s . This will ensure that all team members can adapt which is crucial for their optimum performance .
References
Hallam, S. F. (2016). The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate Three Essential Virtues. Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship , 21 (4), 140.
Lencioni, P. (2016). The ideal team player: How to recognize and cultivate the three essential virtues . John Wiley & Sons.
Sorcher, M., & Brant, J. (2002). Are you picking the right leaders?. Harvard Business Review , 80 (2), 78-87.
