Great Teams Embrace the Struggle

I’ve had the fortune of playing on some really good teams, both athletically and in business. It’s a topic that really fascinates me. What makes a great team versus a good team?? What’s the difference? I believe there’s a fine line between a good team and a great team….although that fine line is very hard to attain…and, really, to be aware of.

It’s a process. Great teams don’t start as great teams. Great teams also aren’t always great – they have peaks and valleys just like the rest of us. The difference? Great teams have the ability to get out of the valley faster and with much less residue than good (or weak) teams. Does that make sense? I’ll repeat it b/c it’s ultra important – great teams, just like any “successful” person, goes through peaks and valleys just like everyone else. They just respond quicker than most everyone else. Not just respond, they adapt….the learn from what got them into the valley. So…next time, the likelihood of going into the valley is less – they ADAPT.

We get so caught up in seeing teams or people exude this greatness. We think they were born with it…that they just have it in their DNA. Oh, how untrue this is. Great teams embrace the process….great teams embrace the daily grind…the ups and downs. They don’t get stuck in the muck…..they embrace the muck…and fight their way out of it.

Great teams prepare. Great teams understand that their backs are going to be up against the wall, many times on a daily basis. The question is, what is that team going to do about it. It’s a culture that’s built over time. It’s a mindset that’s instilled in the deepest part of each individual on that team. It’s a resilience. It’s starts with the leader then it filters down to the players or team members….a belief in each other….a belief in the process.

So…embrace the struggle my friends….it’s coming…your greatness is about how you adjust, adapt and respond to your valleys.