10 Things to Know About Building Successful Teams

Great results don't just happen because the leader wants them to happen they involve hard work and effort, and contribution from the entire team. The bigger the results we want to achieve the better the team we need to build.

Here are ten things great leaders know about building great teams.

No individual can win a game by himself. - Pele

The first step to creating a good team is understanding that we cannot do it on our own, no matter how good we are or think we are. If we start to believe our own hype, then we will be limited to what we can achieve with our own hands.

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. -Henry Ford

Great teams don't just happen by chance; we need to work on building cooperation and collaboration, getting everyone to pull in the right direction and this is a key role of leadership. As Henry Ford says putting the team together is just the start,

The speed of the boss is the speed of the team. - Lee Iacocca

I think this is one of the most difficult concepts for many leaders to understand. Our teams are a reflection of us, and if they are performing badly, it's because of our leadership. If we are not engaged, our teams will not be engaged, if we are not enthusiastic, then our teams will not be enthusiastic. Leadership defines culture, and if we lack confidence, ambition or belief, then this will be the culture of our teams.

None of us is as smart as all of us. -Ken Blanchard

We often have great experience, knowledge, and resources within our teams, and we should look to maximize the return on that capability. It's not the leader's job to know everything, to solve every problem, it's their job to make sure that every problem is solved. Get your team involved, leverage their knowledge and expertise.

We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately. Benjamin Franklin

As leaders, our goal should be to give our teams everything that they need to be successful. Their success is our success; their failure is our failure, and the more successful we can make them, then the more successful we will be. It's that simple.

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships. -Michael Jordan

When it comes to recognizing the contribution, we need to remember that it was teamwork rather than just individual talent that go us over the finish line, and we need to make sure that all are recognized. Yes, it's true that some may have contributed more than others. But without them, we might not have succeeded.

Trust is knowing that when a team member does push you, they're doing it because they care about the team. Patrick Lencioni

We need to build a safe, honest and caring environment. One in which people can challenge one another in a supportive manner, share best practices and help the team to improve.

People achieve more as a result of working with others than against them. - Dr. Allan Fromme

It's collaboration and cooperation that builds strong teams, not internal competition. Any competition should be focused outwards not inwards.

If two men on the same job agree all the time, then one is useless. If they disagree all the time, both are useless. - Darryl F. Zanuck

We need to be open to different ideas, suggestions, and approaches. These should be discussed openly and freely, but once the decision has been made on the way forward, then we need to ensure that everyone supports it. The discussion moves us forward; disagreement holds us back.

Progress has a steep price. Success has an even steeper price. Your team won't be willing to pay it if you aren't willing to pay it. - T Jay Taylor

People want to feel that they are working with you, not for you. They want to know that you are not asking them to do something that you wouldn't do yourself in their position. We can't always lead from the front, but people will be more likely to follow us and respect us if they at least see that we are prepared to roll our sleeves up and do our part.