Page 67 - How to Create a Winning Organization

The Heart of the Pyramid
There is only one star that counts: the team. Any organization 49
whose leader seeks stardom at the expense of the team is one I
would not want to join, regardless of the paycheck. That attitude
goes against everything I believe about effective leadership and
great teams. Similarly, a player who is more concerned with his or
her own statistics rather than those of the team is a player I wel-
come on the opponent’s side of the court. The presence of such an
individual weakens the team and makes it vulnerable during com-
petition to a disciplined group filled with Team Spirit.
Team Spirit is one of the most tangible “intangibles” I have ever
encountered. It’s difficult to see; you feel it. And it’s a powerful feel-
ing for an organization to have.

GETTING TO THE TOP
The 12 Pyramid blocks I have so far described have been carefully
chosen. Each has a unique purpose, and there is logic behind its
position in the pyramid. Industriousness and Enthusiasm make up
the foundation; they must be present at the outset, or nothing will
be accomplished. They power all that follows.
To them we must add the qualities of the heart—Friendship,
Loyalty, Cooperation—which allow you to create a powerful and
honest bond with those in your organization. Have the courage to
offer them, and they will, in turn, be offered back. Those few who
don’t reciprocate must be strongly encouraged to move on.
Upon this strong foundation—Industriousness, Enthusiasm,
Friendship, Loyalty, and Cooperation—I placed a second tier, the
disciplines of Self-Control, Alertness, Initiative, and Intentness.
These four qualities are personal characteristics that, when com-
bined with the Pyramid’s foundation, create an increasing ava-
lanche of productive, positive, and unrelenting leadership force.
Next comes the center of the Pyramid—Coach Ward Lambert’s