Are You On a Losing Team or a Winning Team?

During my nine-year NFL career, I have seen both sides of this perspective. I know what it’s like to be on a losing team versus a winning team.  When I compare my experiences of the 1989 1-15 Dallas Cowboys team versus the 1993 Kansas City Chiefs team where we reached the AFC Championship game, there certainly are some takeaways.  When I fast forward to the professions I’m in today; those takeaways have been valuable.  Here’s two I’d like to share.

When you’re working within a team oriented business, you don’t always have the freedom to make changes to the team. Changes you feel could make the team stronger, therefore positively impacting the business. Perhaps your business partners were selected for you, and there’s not much you can do about it. Being you can’t control this, you shouldn’t wait for someone else to step up and be the difference maker. You must be the person who creates the winning team environment. Your example, leadership and a positive mindset can play a helpful role within the team. A winning attitude and effort can become contagious, and the right kind of people will feed off of a winner and want to duplicate their success.

However if you’re in a business where you can select your team members, and your responsible for building this team to success, this is where it gets interesting. Now the control swings in your favor. Simply put “if your team doesn’t excite you, get a new team!” 

No one wants to “push rope” and you shouldn't have to. No rule says you must still work with the same team members.  Especially if you’re working with ones, who have no motivation what so ever to do their job.  Perhaps you feel like you’re always chasing them, prodding and reminding them of why they wanted to do this job in the first place. No one wants to “push rope” and you shouldn't have to. Unless you’re extremely mentally tough, such attitudes can eventually affect you and your performance.   You want teammates who inspire you! Team members who want to go fast and perform at the highest level! 

Therefore, use freedom to your advantage. Depending on the profession you're in but if you have the flexibility of putting a team together or building teams and your team doesn't excite you, GET A NEW TEAM!!!  You’ll thank me later.

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