The Ideal Team Player

The Ideal Team Player is a fabulous book (a fable about a Construction Company) written by author Patrick Lencioni on how to optimize team performance by recognizing and Cultivating Three Essential Virtues. Lencioni argues that there are three essential qualities that ALL ideal team players possess (in some measure): humility, hunger, and smarts.

Humility is the ability to admit when you are wrong, to be open to feedback, and to give credit to others. Hunger is the drive to achieve and to be the best that you can be. Smarts are the social-emotional skills (Emotional Intelligence) to solve problems without causing problems with team members.

Lencioni, who also wrote The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, argues that teams that are made up of ideal team players are more likely to be successful.

The Ideal Team Player is a well-written and thought-provoking book. In the business of Construction, identifying and cultivating talent is arguably the most important thing successful leaders do at ALL levels of the organization. This book is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to improve their teamwork skills or who is looking to build a high-performing team.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the book:

• The three essential virtues of an ideal team player are humility, hunger, and smarts.

• Teams that are made up of ideal team players are more likely to be successful.

• You can do several things to identify and cultivate ideal team players.

If you are looking to improve your teamwork skills or looking to build a high-performing team, then I highly recommend reading The Ideal Team Player.