Are you humble, hungry and smart? If so you may be the ideal team player. In his newest how to business book, Patrick Lencioni takes readers through the story of a small company with lots of potential (two huge new construction projects) and challenges (the CEO has left and the teams are not completely cohesive).
The leadership team begins a journey to create a “jackass free” company and quickly discovers that they need to figure out what makes an ideal team player to avoid hiring or keeping jackasses. That’s when they formulate the three essential virtues of humble, hungry and smart. The definitions of these virtues are:
Humble.
Humble people lack excessive ego or concerns about status. They are quick to point out the contributions of others and slow to seek attention for their own. They share credit, emphasize team over self and define success collectively rather than individually.
Hungry
Hungry people are always looking for more – more things to do, more to learn, and more responsibility to take on. They almost never have to be pushed by a manager to work harder because they are self-motivated and diligent. They are constantly thinking about the next step and the next opportunity.
Smart
Smart team players have common sense about people. They tend to know what is happening in group situations and how to deal with others in the most effective way. They have good judgment and intuition around the subtleties of group dynamics and the impact of their words and actions.
It is important to note that ideal doesn’t mean perfect. We can all work on these three virtues. Lencioni’s book is thought provoking and lends itself to honest introspection.
While an ideal team player will have a combination of the three virtues, the percentages of each can shift over time (and due to circumstances) and may need to become focus areas. The important first step is to evaluate the virtues of individuals currently on the team. Also, actively focusing on the desired virtues during the hiring process can lead to making the right decisions for your company.
Are you humble, hungry and smart? What about your teammates?
