The Secret Sauce to Being a Great Team Player
Most of us work, play, or are a part of a team. We all have roles on our teams, whether it’s our family or our job.
There are many crucial components to being a great team player; I believe this characteristic drives the best teams.
What is that characteristic? Consistently being you.
It sounds so simple and cheesy but….
We are all influenced by the outside world, don’t feel like showing up some days, and feel the pain of imposter syndrome in our roles.
In an age with access to billions of people’s personal lives, we can compare ourselves faster than ever. The voice in our head will tell us we aren’t good enough, or maybe tell us we are too good for our roles!
What advice do you hear from those at the highest level of their professions? “Impact where your feet are.”
How do we impact where our feet are?
By being consistently ourselves. Being consistently ourselves means carving out time for reflection and diving into our thinking of who we are. Then ask ourselves, where did those thoughts come from? Who is telling me these thoughts? Is it my parents from back in the day, or is it my present-day significant other?
Be a scientist and get down to the bottom of the thoughts and voices in your head. It won’t happen in one day, one week, or even a month. It will be a constant journey.
But the more you can peel back layers of the onion on who you truly are at the core, the closer you will get to your truth. When you find that truth, you have to be an incredible team player when you start to unlock the potential.
Life is a team game
Our teams need us to show up as our unique selves bringing in our passions and strengths.
The more consistent we can be showing up as our authentic selves, the more impact we can create for the world.
The magnitude of impact we can create is remarkable when we come together.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
African Proverb
The article is inspired by my conversation with Tyrell Mara for the podcast Bridging Impact.
