Building a Championship Team- Part II
Strong Communication
Presidential politics provides countless examples to follow when it comes to strong communication. It also gives us things to avoid. Comments like “47%”, “Read my lips”, and “Ooops” were never intended to do harm, but eventually became punch lines of unsuccessful campaigns.
To become president, a tightly knit team is formed around a vision. Through various channels, this vision takes shape and is communicated to the masses. Presidents are masters of communication. They realize the impact and importance of their words and work hard to avoid silly mistakes. Championship Teams operate the same way. They have figured out that the only way to communicate is directly. They have a culture of open, honest conversation and understand that strategic planning may be required. Having uncomfortable conversations will undoubtedly be necessary.
Passion
In grade school and beyond, students have the opportunity to learn from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech. In inspirational prose, King set a vision for the civil rights movement in America. His passion and leadership changed the lives of millions and the soul and direction of our country.
King’s team was created not only with strategy, but with uncommon passion. King was able to grow this movement through authenticity and for his knack to be impromptu. In fact, when King was about half ways through his famous speech, he felt that he had not connected with the 250,000 people in attendance. His response? He went unscripted, speaking from his heart and changing the course of history while inspiring his team in immeasurable ways.
The Greek origin of the word passion is paskho, which means “to suffer”. Champions suffer not just for themselves, but for the mission, the cause, their teammates, and their leader.
Champions Tasks
To create the TEAM that you desire, consider:
- Creating or planning meaningful team building activities that improve your keys to success.
- Writing a short story or poem telling your vision. Narrate it to a colleague, friend or spouse.
- Determining your group’s strengths and weaknesses. Then prioritizing how to address each.
