my notes from teamwork 101

My Notes From Teamwork 101, by John C. Maxwell

Preface, page V – “If you want to grow and become the best person you can be, you’ve got to be intentional about it.”

Part 1 – The Power of Teamwork Chapter 1 – Why Is Teamwork so Important?

One is too small a number to achieve greatness The Value of Teamwork:

“There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.” -President Lyndon Johnson

Teams share credit for victories and the blame for losses. This fosters genuine humility and authentic community. Individuals take credit and blame alone. This fosters pride and sometimes a sense of failure.

Why Do We Stand Alone? : (Ego) So the question is not whether you can do everything by yourself; it’s how soon

you’re going to realize that you can’t. (Insecurity) “…only secure leaders give power to others.” (Insecurity) “We should not only use all the brains we have, but all that we can borrow.”

-President Woodrow Wilson (Temperament) If you do everything alone and never partner with other people, you

create huge barriers to your own potential. Chapter 2 – What Is the Impact of Good Teamwork?

There are some things only a team can accomplish Teamwork Truths:

Teamwork divides the effort and multiplies the effect: Better results from less work

Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships Teamwork is not about you:

The true measure of a leader is getting people to work hard together. “In order to have a winner, the team must have a feeling of unity. Every player must

put the team first ahead of personal glory.” -Paul “Bear” Bryant “If a team is to reach its potential, each player must be willing to subordinate his

personal goals to the good of the team.” -Bud Wilkinson “The freedom to do your own thing ends when you have obligations and

responsibilities. If you want to fail yourself – you can – but you cannot do your own thing if you have responsibilities to team members.” -Lou Holtz

“Teamwork requires that everyone’s efforts flow from a single direction. Feelings of significance happen when a team’s energy takes on a life of its own.” -Pat Riley

Great Teams Create Community: When a team shares a strong sense of community, team members can resolve

conflicts without dissolving relationships. Adding Value To Others Adds Value To You:


If you desire to succeed, then live by these four simple words: add value to others. Chapter 3 – Can My Team Accomplish the Dream?

As the challenge escalates, the need for teamwork elevates What Is Your Everest? :

If you have a dream, you need a team to accomplish it. How do you approach the task of putting together a team to accomplish your dream? I

think the best way to start is to ask yourself three questions: “What is my dream?” – tells us what could be “Who is on my team?” – tells us what is “What should my dream team look like?”

How to Grow a Team: Develop Team Members:

If you’re leading the team, then one of your most important responsibilities is to see the potential that people don’t see in themselves, and draw it out. When you accomplish this, you’re doing your job as a leader.

Add Key Team Members: Sometimes all the team needs is one key person with talent in an area to make the

difference between success and failure. Change the Leadership:

The challenge of the moment often determines the leader for that challenge. If your team is facing a big challenge, and it doesn’t seem to be making any progress

“up the mountain”, then it might be time to change leaders. There may be someone on the team more capable for leading during this season.

Remove Ineffective Members: Chapter 4 – How Do I Develop a Team That Lasts?

Create an environment that unleashes new leaders The Leaders Daily Dozen:

Place a High Value on People: You only commit yourself to things you value. And fundamentally, if you don’t value

people, you will never create a culture that develops leaders. Commit Resources to Develop People Place a High Value on Leadership:

As yourself if you place value on leadership in your organization or team Look for Potential Leaders:

Ten characteristics of leaders according to John C. Maxwell: Make things happen See opportunities Influence the opinions and actions of others Add value to you Draw winners to them Help equip others to lead


Provide ideas that help the team, organizations, etc. Possess an uncommonly great attitude Live up to their commitments Show fierce loyalty the to team or organization, especially the leader

Know and Respect Your People Provide Your People with Leadership Experiences:

Our natural tendency is to give people tasks to perform rather than leadership functions to fulfill.

Reward Leadership Initiative Provide a Safe Environment Where People Ask Questions, Share Ideas, and Take Risks:

“Leaders have a say in what they are being led to. A leader who neglects that soon finds himself without followers.” -Historian Gary Willis

Grow with Your People: I have already grown. I want my people to grow. I’m dedicated to helping my people grow. I want to grow along with my people.

Which one am I??? Draw People with High Potential into Your Inner Circle:

The best way to develop high caliber leaders is to have them mentored by a high- caliber leader. Give your best to the best you have.

Commit Yourself to Developing a Leadership Team: If you want to reach your max potential, or have your team reach that, you have a

group of leaders that can fill in each other’s weaknesses, etc. Unleash Your Leaders to Lead

Part 2 – The Dynamics of Teamwork Chapter 5 – What Are the Characteristics of a Good Team?

Great teams have everyone on the same page The Team Members Care for One Another:

Teammates have to know they all look out for each other The Team Members Know What’s Important:

If one player on a team doesn’t know what is important to the team, they are ineffective.

The Team Members Communicate with One Another: Stay in constant contact and tell each other what is going on, in order to preserve the

“team”. Create an atmosphere of positive communication because open communication

increases productivity.

The Team Members Grow Together: Learn on a regular basis together, at least once a month


Small teams of learners – have groups of 3 or 4 work together at times Send people to conferences, seminars, and workshops to help them grow and learn

constantly Have shared experiences

There Is a Team Fit: Desire by team members to respect others and contribute to team atmosphere.

The Team Members Place Their Individual Rights Beneath the Best Interest of the Team: Person must genuinely feel the team is more important than their personal interests.

Their success will come with the team’s success Personal sacrifice must be encouraged and then rewarded.

Each Team Member Plays a Special Role: Niche Principle – “People who occupy a special place on the team feel special and

perform in a special way. Team niches humanize teamwork.” Team roles must fit the goals/needs of organization, while capitalizing on the strengths

and abilities of each individual. Team leaders need to make sure roles are being filled and make adjustments when

they are not. An Effective Team Has a Good Bench:

The leaders must select, equip, and develop people in order to maximize their abilities. Finest quality of teamwork – a person who is willing to step up his/her level of play for

teammates in times of need The Team Members Know Exactly Where the Team Stands:

Similar to the term “court vision” in basketball The ability to know what is going on while on the court, in the classroom, or in the

organization you are a part of. Team Members are Willing to Pay the Price:

There has to be a total commitment from every individual on the team. Everyone has to realize the price it will take and why they are sacrificing.

Chapter 6 – What Does It Mean to Be a Team Player? The best players put the team first Cultivating Selflessness:

Be Generous Avoid Internal Politics Display Loyalty

Loyalty fosters unity, and unity breeds team success Value interdependence over Independence

“No man can live happily who regards himself alone, who turns everything to his own advantage. You must live for others if you wish to live for yourself.”

To Become More Selfless…. Promote Someone Other Than Yourself


Take a Subordinate Role Try out letting others go first, putting their needs ahead of yours

Give Secretly “You have not lived today successfully unless you’ve done something for someone

who can never repay you.” – Writer John Bunyan Chapter 7 – How Do I Go About Building a Winning Team?

A leader’s investment in the team pays dividends. How to Invest in Team Building:

Make the Decision to Build a Team This is the first step and it takes commitment

Gather the Best Team Possible The very best people possible for you to succeed

Pay the Price to Develop the Team You have to set aside your personal time, money, and agenda investing in the team

to totally commit. Do Things Together as a Team

“Even when you’ve played the game of your life, it’s the feeling of teamwork that you’ll remember. You’ll get the plays, the shots, and the scores, but you’ll never forget your teammates.”

Community like is described above is developed by spending time with and getting to know each other.

Empower Team Members with Responsibility and Authority This helps build up leaders on the team

Give Credit for Success to the Team Team morale will be built by celebrating accomplishments as a team A leader takes the blame, but never the credit. If you do this, your team will always

fight for you! Watch to See That the Investment in the Team Is Paying Off

You want to make sure you see progress, fast or slow, so you know you are getting a return on your investments.

Create Opportunities for the Team Always present new challenges to your team to help their growth

Give the Team the Best Possible Chance to Succeed “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is

success.” – James E. Hunton “Where there’s a will there’s a way; where there’s a team, there’s more than one

way.”

Chapter 8 – How Does a Weak Player Impact the Team? A weak link harms the leader’s credibility and the team’s chances for success. Your Team Is Not for Everyone:


Not Everyone Will Take the Journey: If they don’t want to go along, thank them kindly and move on

Not Everyone Should Take the Journey: If they have different agendas than what your team has, and won’t buy in, you

should exclude them from the journey. Not Everyone Can Take the Journey:

This is a simple case of whether or not someone is capable of taking the journey. Some people simply don’t have the ability.

What can you do about weak links on your team? You need to train them or trade them. People will often rise to your level of expectations. Give them hope and training

and they usually improve The Impact of a Weak Link:

As a team leader, you can never avoid dealing with weak links The Stronger Members Identify the Weak One

If you have strong people on your team, the weak members will easily stick out. The Stronger Members Have to Help the Weak One

If you have team players, then they will help the weaker members The Stronger Members Come to Resent the Weak One

If the weak members are a constant drag, the others will resent them for their lack of effort and commitment.

The Stronger Members Become Less Effective You cannot always carry the load for the weaker team members

The Stronger Members Question the Leaders Ability You lose the respect of the best when you don’t deal properly with the worst.

Strengthening the Chain: The power and momentum of a team can carry a weak link for awhile, but not forever. In terms of interactions between a weaker person and stronger person, the weaker

usually controls the relationship. The person who is stronger has to constantly wait and help the weaker, which

controls what happens along the path. If you have to remove someone from your team, be discreet, be honest, be clear, and be

brief. Afterwards, be honest with the rest of the team and respect the person that you cut ties with.

Chapter 9 – How Do I Create Positive Energy on the Team? Put completing teammates ahead of competing with them. When you compete with your teammates, you want to try and complete them.

Organizations first, develop trust, think win-win, include others, etc. Winning at all costs will only cost you with your peers. If you are trying to beat them, you

will not be able to influence them effectively. How to Balance Competing and Completing:


Acknowledge Your Natural Desire to Compete Make sure and channel your competitiveness in a POSITIVE WAY

Embrace Healthy Competition It brings out your best It promotes honest assessment It creates camaraderie It doesn’t become personal

Put Competition in Its Proper Place Channel it correctly in the right direction

Know Where to Draw the Line Never “go for the throat” with your peers because it will alienate them. Anytime it will lower morale, it is ineffective.

How Can I Harness the Team’s Creativity? Make sure the best idea always wins.

Basically this refers to resisting the urge to keep pushing your ideas if you know they are not the best on the table.

Ideas: The Lifeblood of an Organization: What Leads to the Best Ideas?

Team Leaders Listen to All Ideas Team Leaders Never Settle for Just One Idea Team Leaders Look in Unusual Places for Ideas Team Leaders Don’t Let Personality Overshadow Purpose

Don’t let the personality of those you are working with cause you to lost sight of the purpose of your team/organization. You want to add value to your team and advance your organizations.

Make sure if you have to reject an idea, you reject the idea and not the person Team Leaders Protect Creative People and Their Ideas

Become a fan of creative people and what they can bring to the table. Team Leaders Don’t Take Rejection Personally

Have passion for your ideas and have integrity to stand up for them, but know when to compromise.

Your motivation should not be to win friends and influence others, but if you let the best idea win, you will win friends and influence people that way…positively.

my notes from teamwork 101

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