Champions

The notion of “the team” has long been used as an analogy for leaders to encourage their employees. The list of books, sayings and philosophies making comparisons about sports and management is a long and prestigious one. Sports celebrities speak at business events probably every day, bringing their expertise in the art of winning to hopeful leaders.

In my case, the subject was simply unavoidable. I live in the Dallas Fort Worth area of Texas. The Super Bowl was the talk of the town since, of course, we hosted it in Arlington in February 2011, just forty minutes from my home.

The other very common thread in all discussions of good leadership is the use of the word “integrity.” I was in a seminar the other day where the definition of integrity was used a little differently, and it clicked in my head with the team concept in a whole new way. The seminar leader was Jim Van Yperen. If you haven’t read one of his books, you might want to give him a try.

Integrity literally means “whole number” or “complete entity” or “something undivided.”  Dictionary.com defines it: 

1. Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty
2. The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire
3. A sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship’s hull

In business, we often take the first meaning, referring to undivided loyalty or complete honesty.  It’s a noble goal and one worth pursuing. For today, though, I’d like to explore the second definition and its relationship to champions.

The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished refers to oneness. The root term integer is a math term, meaning whole number. So, in this analogy, you can’t have integrity apart from the rest of the team. As a leader, you and the team are one, inseparable.

If we are to ask integrity of our staff, can we ask any less of ourselves? And if we define integrity based on option number two, how does it change our leadership style? It’s probably a subtle difference. It will be internal, almost imperceptible to the team you are leading. By the same token, some feel that if the earth’s angle was just one degree different on its axis we’d fry to a crisp. Small changes can yield large results!

Let’s think in terms of “oneness” and how that can create champions in our businesses.

•  If we are all moving in one direction, according to a single, well communicated plan, we can get where we are going much faster since we’re all pulling (or pushing) together. What direction are you going? 
• If we all work with one guiding principal, we’ll be more focused and make better decisions in our workday. What is your guiding principal?
• If we all understand a single goal for the type of service we provide to our customers, we can provide better options to them from which to select, and happy customers buy more and stay longer. What is the one definition of the service you want to provide?
• If we remain undivided in our relationships with each other, assuming the best, and helping when we can, we avoid the wasted time of arguments, finger pointing and subsequent repair work. What are you doing to foster oneness in your relationships?
• If we develop one message to the outside world that defines us, the world will see us as a mature, thoughtful entity that can be trusted with the details. What is your one message?

The next step is to determine how this definition of integrity creates champions.

First, think a minute about how teams are formed. Every player has a unique purpose. In the main, each has a well-defined job and should not cross over into someone else’s position unless there is an extreme circumstance where assistance is required and requested. Knowing exactly what one’s own duties are and practicing that particular set of duties over and over until they are habitual and instinctive turns a good player into a great one. It requires one mission, one job, one set of perfect practice plans. (Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect performance.)

Within that structure, there is but one goal: to win. In the best teams, the definition of winning includes doing it fairly, without cheating, and without getting hurt.  But winning also includes breaking out of your own set of duties only when the team requires it. So, while the kicker spends most of his time kicking, he does learn how to catch the ball, just in case. This is because there is one team and one goal, but a variety of methods to reach that goal. The oneness concept prevails even in the details. 

Most of the time, the oneness concept is highly evident in champions. Even if you dig past the veneer of what is seen in the press, you’ll usually find that champions speak in oneness language. They give credit to the entire team, as one entity, when it comes to the successes they have had. Champions are willing to do whatever it takes to win, because they have just that one goal.

Next, we want to answer a question for your organization today:  How do you define championship? Are you measuring the same old thing as most are: the money? Why?

You have never heard a winning Superbowl coach get in front to the microphone after the big win and say: “Hey, we’re so happy that we all earned over a million dollars each this year!” or “Oh boy, I’m getting a big bonus of $500,000 because I led the winning team!”

Instead, you’ll hear tales of gratefulness to be able to play one more season. You’ll hear stories about people pulling out all the stops and playing with heart and drive, and how they overcame all the obstacles because they pulled together as a team – as one. 

Can we translate that spirit into something we can use? Certainly, there is nothing wrong with money or bonuses. We all need that measuring tool. Can we find a way to define the results of our actions in another tangible, measurable way that brings us to our purpose as one team? 

The classic example is when the hardware store employee asked a customer why he wanted to buy a drill. The customer looked a little confused and said “Well, sir, I need to make some holes….” He wasn’t buying a drill. He was buying a way to make holes. 

Can we define our purpose that way? Are we selling insurance to make money? Yes. What will we do with that money? Why do we want the money? What is the benefit to our team? This is something we can answer personally as well. In fact, learning to articulate the benefit of an action, sale or profit is something we can learn to improve many of our communications in life. Several sales programs focus on being able to define the actual benefit to the customer, and not just the features of a particular product.

 So, with money as the given, known element: what makes us champions? How do you define championship in the oneness model? Can you articulate to your staff what it is you are trying to accomplish as an organization? 

Perhaps you are a champion because you are trying to provide healthy employment in your community. Providing a means by which fellow citizens can feed their families is a noble cause! Maybe you want to be a champion for causes and spend some time and money for a certain charity. You may want to change the culture of the industry, or help the community re-define the benefits of your industry to the world around them. There is something heroic about being the one to help someone re-build their house after a fire, even if it is just by way of getting them a fair payment on the loss.

You can get help from your staff in defining championship status. Talk to them about what their opinion of the right way to win. It’s just a new way to look at the old mission/vision model, but fresh eyes just may be that small shift in focus that you need to have your best year ever! GO TEAM!