This article is based on
following book: The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork "Embrace Them and Empower Your Team" John C. Maxwell, author of ‘The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership’ Published in Nashville, Tennessee by Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2001 265 pagesTo achieve great things, you need a team. Building a winning team requires understanding of these principles. Whatever your goal or project, you need to add value and invest in your team so end product benefits from more ideas, energy, resources, and perspectives.
1. The Law of Significance People try to achieve great things by themselves mainly because of size of their ego, their level of insecurity, or simple naiveté and temperament. One is too small a number to achieve greatness.
2.The Law of Big Picture The goal is more important than role. Members must be willing to subordinate their roles and personal agendas to support team vision. By seeing big picture, effectively communicating vision to team, providing needed resources, and hiring right players, leaders can create a more unified team.
3. The Law of Niche All players have a place where they add most value. Essentially, when right team member is in right place, everyone benefits. To be able to put people in their proper places and fully utilize their talents and maximize potential, you need to know your players and team situation. Evaluate each person’s skills, discipline, strengths, emotions, and potential.
4. The Law of Mount Everest As challenge escalates, need for teamwork elevates. Focus on team and dream should take care of itself. The type of challenge determines type of team you require: A new challenge requires a creative team. An ever-changing challenge requires a fast, flexible team. An Everest-sized challenge requires an experienced team. See who needs direction, support, coaching, or more responsibility. Add members, change leaders to suit challenge of moment, and remove ineffective members.
5. The Law of Chain The strength of team is impacted by its weakest link. When a weak link remains on team stronger members identify weak one, end up having to help him, come to resent him, become less effective, and ultimately question their leader’s ability.
6. The Law of Catalyst Winning teams have players who make things happen. These are catalysts, or get-it-done-and-then-some people who are naturally intuitive, communicative, passionate, talented, creative people who take initiative, are responsible, generous, and influential.
7. The Law of Compass A team that embraces a vision becomes focused, energized, and confident. It knows where it’s headed and why it’s going there. A team should examine its Moral, Intuitive, Historical, Directional, Strategic, and Visionary Compasses. Does business practice with integrity? Do members stay? Does team make positive use of anything contributed by previous teams in organization? Does strategy serve vision? Is there a long-range vision to keep team from being frustrated by short-range failures?
8. The Law of The Bad Apple Rotten attitudes ruin a team. The first place to start is with your self. Do you think team wouldn’t be able to get along without you? Do you secretly believe that recent team successes are attributable to your personal efforts, not work of whole team? Do you keep score when it comes to praise and perks handed out to other team members? Do you have a hard time admitting you made a mistake? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to keep your attitude in check.
