Business is a team sport: Build your team and produce more with less effort
Quick Answer: Building a business team starts with dropping the "I win, you lose" mindset. No star player wins a final alone, yet many owners run their business as if they must do everything themselves. That makes the business dependent on them and caps its growth. Superstardom is only possible with a team.
The "I Win, You Lose" Sentence
This is based upon a simple statement: "I win, you lose", or a variation of it, "I'm great, and you're not." This statement acts like a sentence and it quite literally sentences us to behave in a way that is designed for independence, and never interdependence.
No Star Wins the Game Alone
Imagine the best all-time team sport players. For some this may be Michael Jordan, for others Pele, or Wayne Gretzky.
What would you say if these extraordinary players went on the basketball court, or the soccer field or a hockey rink and said "Today, I am going to play in the final game by myself against the entire team."
It would be obvious to you that this is absurd, pointless, and maybe a little crazy, because no matter how great those individual players are, by themselves they cannot win. It would be impossible.
Why Building a Business Team Beats Doing It All Yourself
Yet, many people in business operate as individuals and say some of the following things: "There are no right people out there," "I have to do it all by myself," "Why can't people do the simplest things? I have to do everything," and "Let me show you how great I am."
This is no surprise, but when we design our businesses this way we create a system that is completely dependent on us as business people. We are the center of attention. In this scenario, you get to say how big it grows; you get to put a limit on it, and, if you want, you can "blow it all up." You also get all of the glory, and attention, if the results do get produced. It is intoxicating for the ego. Imagine being admired and respected by those around you, knowing that at any point you could stop producing. That is the power you have in a dependent model. (By the way, the experience of those around you can be that of a tyrant.)
The Next Level: An Effective Team System
Ultimately, all of us in business have to go through this experience to get to the next level of an effective business team system. You don't have to go there, but if you do you may be surprised what rewards you get.
Superstardom is only possible with a team. No team, no superstardom.
- "I win, you lose" sentences us to independence instead of interdependence.
- Even the greatest players, like Jordan, Pele or Gretzky, cannot win a final alone.
- "I have to do it all myself" builds a business that depends entirely on you.
- A dependent model caps growth, feeds the ego and can feel tyrannical to those around you.
- Moving to an effective team system is how you get to the next level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do so many owners try to do everything themselves?
The "I win, you lose" mindset, and beliefs like "there are no right people out there", push owners toward independence. It also feeds the ego: the owner gets the glory and the attention.
What is wrong with a business that depends on the owner?
The owner puts a limit on how big it grows and can "blow it all up" at any point. For the people around them, the experience can be that of a tyrant.
What does a team sport have to do with business?
No matter how great a player is, one person cannot beat an entire team. Business works the same way: the results you want take a team.
What is the next step for a business owner?
Move from a dependent model to an effective business team system. It is a step every owner has to go through to reach the next level.