Page 65 - How to Create a Winning Organization

The Heart of the Pyramid
linked to the success of an organization. Teamwork is an obvious 47
choice of words, but it suggested to me a cold efficiency in perfor-
mance, something akin to a well-oiled machine, everybody doing
his or her job correctly. Of course, there is nothing wrong with
everybody doing his or her job correctly, but I sought something
more. I wanted a powerful and efficient machine, but one that also
had heart and soul. The words I chose to describe the presence of
this powerful block are Team Spirit.
Initially,IdefinedTeamSpiritas“awillingnesstosacrificepersonal
interest or glory for the welfare of all,” but there was something in the
definition that bothered me, something not quite right. Neverthe-
less, I left the description in place for several years. Then one morn-
ing at breakfast I read a newspaper story about a particular individual
who repeatedly demonstrated an “eagerness” to do some activity that
he was involved in. While I don’t recall what the activity was, I rec-
ognized immediately what I had been unknowingly searching for.
When it came to Team Spirit, willingness was not enough; ea-
gerness was the exact description of what I sought in myself and in
those I coached. A willingness to be selfless suggests a begrudging
aspect of doing what is required for the team. I wanted each player
to be eager to sacrifice personal interests for the good of the group.
To me, there is all the difference in the world between willingness
and eagerness. Thus, I changed that single word in the definition.
Team Spirit—an eagerness to sacrifice personal interests or glory
for the welfare of all—is a tangible driving force that transforms in-
dividuals who are “doing their jobs correctly” into an organization
whose members are totally committed to working at their highest
levels for the good of the group. Members of such an organization
are unselfish, considerate, and put the goals of the organization
above their own, even at the expense of their own personal desires.
When this happens—and the leader is the one who makes it
happen—the result is almost magical.