We have all heard it before – “upmanship”. In some ways, it is about out doing what you perceive the competition to be, however it is also what cripples a team. We all want to get ahead, and some will take great strides to rise above the people who can make a winning team. Success alone is lonely but winning as a team is simply a party!

Over the years I have worked with people who constantly want attention…..are self-absorbed…and fail to operate like a team. They simply want to be front and center and ignore the moving parts of team work. In “sport” the best players set others up for success. Look at Wayne Gretzky who lead the league in assists as a player back in the day. He simply helped the people around him produce resulting in many wins. He fostered a team approach even though he could do many of those things alone. He let his actions speak and was never one to show boat. That kind of tempered behavior makes everyone win and builds a strong personal brand. It is not about “you”, but it is about what you do for the “people” that surround you.

In business, the best leaders make sure the people below them never fail. They often do what it takes to help people get on track and excel. Great leaders keep people engaged and interested. L. Daniel Jorndt was the former CEO of Walgreens. “LDJ” as they use to call him operated like a coach who was putting every player in. He knew if he coached them all right they could each contribute to the next touch down. His method worked so well – that there still has never been a CEO at Walgreens to match the path LDJ created. He was a coach who put every player in and had the foresight to find peoples talent. Nobody was “riding the pine” when working under LDJ. Everyone was important back in those days.

As I have said before, “success alone is lonely, but winning as a team is simply a party”.