Teamwork Starts With Three Words

Throughout my military career, I was fortunate enough to have worked with many determined and dedicated soldiers who truly epitomize mateship, sacrifice, endurance, and courage. These are convictions that Australian troops pride themselves on, and they are things that set us apart from the rest of the world.

I now train both corporate and professional sporting teams and regularly see a stark contrast in how they work compared to the teamwork I was part of in the Army.

Compared to our parents and grandparents generation, I think that we are now living in a more self centred era and people are more focused on gaining momentum in their own careers, rather than having an unselfish and altruistic attitude.

Some may argue with that last statement, and that is fine, I encourage debate, but we see it everyday in the workforce and in sporting teams. Employees (Whether they be part of a sports team or corporate team) are an expendable resource, with most sporting employment contracts not worth the paper they are written on.

I have been speaking with corporate teams about this for the past 15 years, and the main thing I see in most businesses, is we incentivise people who are willing to put their own interest first, so that they can make money and gain. It’s all about the money, not other people.

Now, I would say a small percentage of people reading this at the moment are justifying what they do and saying that ‘We are in tough competitive industry where it is dog eat dog and only the strong survive.

Personally, I think this is 100% backward and why it is so difficult to build a great culture and successful teams within most industries.

Employees are forced to compete against each other rather than work together.

So, why do these soldiers have such an Altruistic and selfless attitude? Why are they willing to put others first and disregarded their own safety?

They don’t do it for the money. I would bet that you get paid more than the average soldier.

It all comes down to the culture and environment that they work in.

What is the difference between the Military and the corporate world?

What is it that creates this level of cooperation and camaraderie?

It all lies in three words, Relationships, Trust and Honesty, which in turn breeds loyalty.

So, how do we build trust and honesty and a better team environment?

Simple.

Start leading by example by putting other people first. That creates a safe environment and a feeling of safety within the organisation.

That’s how you build a great team. It all starts with the leaders making their employee’s feel safe.

It is time to create more leaders, not followers. To put pride back into your company and most importantly, to set an example that encourages others to emulate your example.

“Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.” – Albert Schweitzer –

My Takeaway For This Week:

I have recently completed a white paper on how to build a great team and dramatically improve the culture within your workplace or your sporting team. My methods have been proven, time and time again, within multi-million-dollar organisations. There are people all over the world who are currently implementing this approach and achieving incredible results.

If you’re serious about thriving in the modern era and your team leaving a legacy, then you will find this information invaluable. Drop me an email on the address below and I will send you through a complimentary copy.

Before you go. I just wanted to say thanks for reading and sharing my fortnightly newsletters.

Inspiring, motivating and educating you on a fortnightly basis means a lot to me and my team.

If you are interested in discussing a Selfless Leadership Corporate Training Program and transforming the culture of your organisation, or schedule a keynote presentation for a conference or event, please contact me at ritchie@ritchiegibson.com

Have a great week ahead.

Ritchie

If you have enjoyed this blog and want more motivation on the go, download previous newsletters at http://beyoubegreat.com.au/blog/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *