From winning to leading: Lessons in teamwork and leadership

𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗻. 𝗘𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲.

I was part of a 4 man team in an overnight sports challenge. A few kilometres from the finish line, my 3 colleagues were exhausted and moving at a snail’s pace.
Driven by the desire to finish within the timeframe we had agreed, I suggested that I continue at my pace and meet them at the finish line – even though the rules required us to finish as a team.

After about 30 metres solo, I turned back to rejoin my team. Crossing the finish line together was more important than my individual timing.
It’s not a proud moment. It’s a story I tell to remind myself of the importance of teamwork belonging, camaraderie, being human… over personal glory.
The experience (and shame) has profoundly shaped my approach to leadership and collaboration.

Marshall Goldsmith’s book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, identifies 20 behaviours that, while they may have contributed to past successes, can hold leaders back from reaching their full potential in current and future roles.

Which of these behaviours do you recognise in yourself or your team?

❌ Winning too much: the need to win at all costs and in all situations
❌ Adding too much value: the overwhelming desire to add our 2 cents to every discussion
❌ Passing judgment: the need to rate others and impose our standards on them
❌ Making destructive comments: needless sarcasm and cutting remarks that we think make us witty
❌ Starting with NO, BUT, HOWEVER: which secretly say to everyone that I’m right and you’re wrong
❌ Telling the world how smart we are
❌ Negativity or “Let me explain why that won’t work”: sharing our negative thoughts even when we weren’t asked.
❌ Withholding information: to maintain an advantage over others
❌ Failing to give proper recognition
❌ Claiming credit that that we don’t deserve
❌ Making excuses
❌ Clinging to the past: deflecting blame away from ourselves and onto events and people from our past
❌ Playing favorites: failing to see that we are treating someone unfairly.
❌ Refusing to express regret, take responsibility for our actions, admit we’re wrong or how our actions affect others
❌ Not listening: the most passive-aggressive form of disrespect for colleagues
❌ Failing to express gratitude
❌ Punishing the messenger
❌ Passing the buck: blaming everyone but ourselves.
❌ An excessive need to be “me”: exalting our faults as virtues simply because they’re who we are

Recognising and addressing these behaviours can help you become a more effective leader. Self awareness, continuous self-improvement and adaptability are essential in getting you ‘there’

Get in touch for personalised coaching to help you navigate these changes, become a better leader and support in getting you ‘there’

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