Last month we introduced you to humble, hungry, people smart, the three indispensable virtues for an “Ideal Team Player” from Patrick Lencioni’s book of the same name.
The three pillars, or characteristics, he identifies are consistent with our experiences working with high performing teams.
What does humble, hungry, people smart look like in a team player?
- Regardless of industry or title, from the top down, humility is a key characteristic. Humble is when you focus more on your teammates than yourself. Positive cultures position people and businesses for success and it’s a great leader’s humility that enables personal and collective greatness.
- Often, we mistake hunger for producing the most results or achieving the highest sales revenue. Lencioni shows us that to be Hungry means to have a strong work ethic and to have the determination to get things done and contribute in any way you can. This team player has the hunger for client success and hunger to raise the bar for what the team desires, rather than individual desires.
- We define being people smart as, “having a willingness to subordinate yourself and look to the interest of others and serve others.” Smart people have good judgment and intuition around the subtleties of group dynamics. They have the social skills to interact with customers as people, not revenue. The people smart sales leader will bond with customers and have a legacy of deep, durable relationships that transcend the work itself.
See if you’re an ideal team player with this online assessment.
Be aware of the danger zone.
Lencioni’s book frames up a gut feeling that we’ve all had before. Something isn’t working with a teammate, but we just can’t put our finger on it. That “something” is when an individual is lacking one of the three virtues. This puts you in the danger zone.
Someone may be extremely proficient, liked by customers, and brings significant value, but they are lacking in humility. This deficiency brings negativity to the internal team and is toxic to the work culture
From the most dangerous role, the skillful politician, to the lovable slacker and the accidental mess maker, Lencioni provides relatable AHA moments and allows us to better understand team dynamics.
SalesCORE helps organizations find the right players for their sales team while creating an environment that develops and nurtures leaders. Our mission is to change the face of sales leadership.