Good Teammates Are Hard to Beat
Three key components of winning championships that require zero skill
Have you ever played on, or against an insanely talented team that just can’t seem to put the pieces together? People often talk about how much this team has so much “potential” or “if they can just play together they would be unstoppable.”
On the flip side, have you been on a team that just seems to always find a way to win? No matter the circumstances, or if they are outmatched skill-wise, this team ends up on top at the end of the game.
How is it that the most talented teams aren’t always the best teams?
The answer is usually always something else than just skill. Most of the time, the best teams are the ones with the best teammates.
Here are three characteristics of a good teammate:
They are unselfish.
“The man who practices unselfishness, who is genuinely interested in the welfare of others, who feels it a privilege to have the power to do a fellow-creature a kindness — even though polished manners and a gracious presence may be absent — will be an elevating influence wherever he goes.” — Orison Swett Marden
Unselfish teammates care about the success of the team over their own personal aspirations. Regardless of the sport, this teammate elevates everyone’s play, and it allows others the freedom to let go of their own selfish agendas and contribute to the team. Unselfishness, or selfishness, is always contagious and can be a direct correlation to wins and losses. An unselfish teammate cares about winning the game and their actions will reflect how much they genuinely care about the success of everyone around them. When the team wins, everyone wins.
They own their role.
A great company has a great CEO, who implements strategies and expectations to directors, who manages supervisors, who in turn have a team of employees that interacts with customers. When there is a break in the system, the whole company fails.
If the employee acts like the CEO, he or she will not be as effective in the job because that is not their role. The same is true for a CEO who does not understand the ins and outs of the daily life of an employee at the company. The two have different roles that are equal and important to the success of the company.
The same is true for a great team. When everyone excels in the role they’ve been given, not only does the team win, but the individuals themselves are elevated. Austin Ekeler, the starting running back for the Los Angeles Chargers, who was an undrafted rookie out of college, dominated playing special teams for the first two years of his career before being put in the rotation as a running back. If he never excelled in his role as a special teams player for the team, he would’ve never been elevated. Before he was one of the best running backs in the game, he owned his role no matter how small it was.
They care.
A person saves up a year’s worth of their wages to buy a brand new car for themselves. They clean it, take care of it, and make sure it is serviced correctly because they have invested something into it.
The teammates who care are the ones who have invested themselves in the culture and values of the program. They’ve shed blood, sweat, and tears for their team, and so it means more to them to win the game. One will go a little further, and give a little more for what they have invested in.
Want to start caring about the success of your team?
Invest in it.
The next time you watch a team that always wins, watch their culture. Watch the way they treat each other. Look at how each person owns their role, is unselfish in their actions, and genuinely cares about their team. More times than not, championship teams are made up of good teammates.
You want to win championships? Start by being a good teammate!!
