Harnessing  the power of your team can literally make or break you in all aspects of your life! 

Does this mean you should go it alone because you could do better with out a team?  Answer is no! 

The real answer lies in building a team that empowers you, makes you grow and one you can contribute too as well!

  Many times we take for granted the power of your team and other times we have a mindset that we are stuck with the team we have been given! 

It has been said and proven to be true many times that you are the sum of your 5 core team members in life!  On an income level you will find that you fall with in the range of your top 5 team members, have similar levels of success and failure in other aspects of life as your top 5 as well!

The truth is we are never stuck with the team we are “given”.  For example many people will feel that their family is their team. In some cases the answer is yes and that is amazing when your family is supportive and provides the proper role modeling for you!  What is some of your family adversely affects your progress or as down right toxic to you?  In that case either you get them to a level where they are in the positive or you simply use the rule of pick your team and love your family! 

Just because someone is a family member or friend does in way mean that you must have them as a peer.  You can love at a distance but keep your core team close!  

The whole team concept is made up of several groups of “teams”  these may be 

Family

Co-workers

Business partners 

Friends

So am I saying that you can only have 5 people who are your team and family/friends, No!  You can have lots! What I am saying with out a doubt is that you will be the sum of the top 5 that you spend the most time around!

Let’s do a contrast example:

First a positive one!  You want to create a new product and you design a team of similar minded people who want the same outcome and have similar goals for the project.  This project or product will undoubtedly flourish!   Let’s contrast that with an example that some one needs to quit drinking in excess but their peer group goes out every Friday and Saturday night and drink a lot.  What would be there options

1. If they enjoy the company and environment and can still do it while consuming non alcohol containing drinks that could work. BUT they must be in a peer group that would not push or encourage them to drink or that will not work.

2. They could still socialize with their friends in a different environment that does not involve alcohol

3. If they can not reach their objective and they feel continual peer pressure then they should find a new peer group, period!

What I am trying to get across here is that you are the decision maker of who and what peer group you create to be your team.

The 5 components to a successful team are:

1. Similar Vision, all team members should have a similar vision for the project, their lives and what ever mission they are on!

2. Similar beliefs, each member of a team should have a similar belief system in place.  Does this mean they have totally matching beliefs? Not at all but similar beliefs about what it is that connects them to each other.  For instance a mismatch would be a team for a non profit and having a team member what thinks that is a get rich quick situation to be involved in.

3. Similar goals, each team member should have a similar basis of goals.  Do they have to match exactly? No but it is good if the general direction of a members is towards the same or similar outcome!

4. Similar character would be crucial as well. It is highly likely that people with very low standards would be beneficial to a team who is looking for fast growth and progress, correct?  Similarly it is unlikely that someone with very high standards is going to want to team up with those who are “just getting by in life”, correct?

5. Diversity! What didn’t I just say the team has to have all these commonalities to function and now you are saying it needs diversity??  Yes! The diversity comes in to play that in all relationships whether business or personal there does have to be a dynamic of diversity.  In personal relationships it creates the polarity in couples.  In business relationships it gives team a different take type of view on the subject, project or relationship.   This creates the excitement and growth in the team dynamic whether it is a team of two or a team of many.

   In summary the important keys to your team is having enough commonality mixed with a little diversity to foster an environment of growth and support! 

Check out the training video and the live replay to tie it all together and get some great examples on how you get to choose or create your team, how you can change your team if necessary and how to create a team where everyone wins together!

-Coach Lew