The Team

A successful team is more than the sum total of its members. This was brought home to me moments ago when I saw the Jamaican Women’s team not pass the baton from the second to the third leg. As a result, those who were counting on a sure 6th gold medal for Jamaica, saw their hopes dashed.

Jamaica unarguably had the best team going into the final – the gold, silver and silver medal winners in the 100m and the gold 200m medal winner. How could we lose? We were all looking not just to win gold, but at the possibility even of breaking a record! And yet it didn’t happen. Why? Because a successful relay is not about adding up the times of each runner – it is about the synergy of the team in getting the baton around. It is not just about handing off the baton to the other runner, it is about feeling the runner, feeling the baton, feeling the energy. When passing the baton, it is an exchange of energy. Replays of great baton changes show the baton seeming to glide from one runner to the other.

Attitude of each member of the team is important. Thoughts of individual glory must be suspended, as it is the team that matters. Trust is tantamount – each member of the team must trust the other. The hardest thing must be for the outgoing runner NOT to turn around and look to see where the baton is; to just stick his/her hand back and trust that the baton will glide into it.

It is the same principles that apply in our organizations. Successful leaders know that a star team is not necessarily made up of individual stars! They know that they can take a group of fairly mediocre individual performers and create a star team. The teams that won medals in the 100m Women’s relay were not at all the individual stars (not one medal winner among them), but they pulled it together on the day and got the baton around.

We also have to know that sometimes, even when the team dynamics are right – all focused on the same goal, all in sync, stars seemingly aligned – “**it” happens and the baton just does not go around! And that’s the way it is in our organizations too – sometimes, it does not happen. What then becomes important is to make the experience a learning one, not one of blame and recrimination. Which is what the Jamaican men’s team just did to win the 100m relay in a world record beating style!