“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”- Michael Jordan
The greatest basketball player to ever play the game knows a little something about team success. Even though Jordan’s personal statistics prove he was the best player of all time, he would not have been nearly as successful without his teammates.
Michael Jordan is not only the best basketball players of all time, but some credit him with being the greatest athlete to ever live. His devotion and skill have made his name both historical and admirable within the sports world. Jordan still thrives today through his partnership with Nike and his ownership of the Charlotte Bobcats. But, Michael Jordan could not have done it alone.
Jordan played alongside Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and 41 other players for at least one season during his NBA Championship winning years. Jordan won the NBA Championship six times with the Chicago Bulls and was the NBA Finals MVP every time. He was also named the NBA Most Valuable Player five times among many other prestigious awards, won two Olympic gold medals and was a part of The Dream Team in the 1992 Barcelona games.
Sports, like any major operation, requires effective teamwork for team success. Basketball is played with five men on the court for each team, and those players need to work together in order to win a game. Obviously individual talent plays a factor within team success as part of any overall sport, but (like Jordan believed) working together is a major team success factor that wins championships.
More Team Success Quotes
“In union there is strength.” —Aesop
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” —African Proverb
“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” —Andrew Carnegie
“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” — Henry Ford
“None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.” — Mother Teresa
“One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.” — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
“Motivation comes from working on things we care about. It also comes from working with people we care about.” —Sheryl Sandberg
“We cannot win in team situations or in relationships by ourselves.” — Terry Orlick
Characteristics of a Successful Team
Successful teams come in all shapes and sizes, but they have a few very important characteristics in common:
Open Communication
No one can reach their full potential if they aren’t able to effectively communicate. Team members must feel comfortable enough to share when they have concerns, ideas, or questions that need to be brought to the group’s attention. Creating a workplace where employees feel psychologically safe is very important for this reason.
Strong Leadership
People follow by example, so make sure your leadership team is leading in an effective and respectful manner. If leadership is invested in the success of each team member and the team as a whole, employees will have more motivation to put in their best work for the overall team success.
Positive Team Culture
Company culture is everything when it comes to achieving goals. If workers feel burned out, underappreciated, and overworked, they won’t put in their best effort to achieve team success. Make sure your employees are taken care of and they’ll take care of you.
High Engagement
Employees must be engaged to achieve success. Consider offering fun activities and incentives throughout each quarter to ensure you’re keeping team members’ attention and reminding them of the common goal.
Adequate Recognition
Employee recognition is essential to keep them engaged and motivated to put in their best work. Employee recognition programs are a growing trend that gives top performers the gratitude they deserve to keep doling their best and contributing to the common goal.
Achieve Team Success with TeamBonding
Team success comes down to each individual contributor’s willingness to put in their best effort. The most important thing is to keep team members engaged, heard, and recognized for their contributions.
At TeamBonding, we believe that each voice counts and should be celebrated. Check out our team building events to make sure your team is engaged, recognized, and ready to achieve team success!
