The best teammate
The best teammate
This past weekend, I attended my first ever Hyrox event – not as a participant, but to support a team of ladies. It’s an impressive event, involving thousands of supporters, judges and athletes, and hundreds of pieces of equipment, housed inside an enormous venue. The entire thing was very well organized and a lot of fun (the outfits alone are worth the prize of admission).
The event can be completed individually or as a team of two, and takes anything between 50-odd minutes and 2.5 hours depending on your fitness level. The team events were on during the time I spent there and it was very interesting to watch the different strategies employed – this is the type of challenge that requires individual effort and teamwork. Some teams were sprinting while others were walking, some split the work 50/50 while others did something closer to 90/10. There is no prize for or point in running away from your partner – the clock only stops when both athletes cross the finish line together.
The team we were supporting did very well. They stuck to their strategy, employing their respective strengths and got the job done in a very respectable time. While having a great time doing it and strengthening their relationship in the process. I’m quite sure that there are other teams that have already decided that they will NEVER do the event with that partner again. That also happens. We don’t always shows up as a great teammate, especially when the pressure is on.
Over the weekend I had a conversation with a friend who is considering working with someone who is an ex-colleague and friend of mine. I assured her that she should, since he was one of the best teammates I ever had. My experience with this guy tough me that he is bright, creative, dependable, calm and stable under pressure, and just enjoyable to spend time with. She also told me about the experience with her teammate she travelled down from Gauteng with to participate at Hyrox, which was challenging to say the least (this is a different team than the one I told you about earlier). They performed incredibly well, achieving a podium finish in their age category, yet it sounds like this might be their first and last event together as a team.
The characteristics of great team players has been on my mind lately (I’m a nerd like that and am thinking about a topic for a next possible book). One of my favourite authors, Pat Lencioni, wrote a book on the topic ten years ago called The Ideal Team Player. He highlights three characteristics they possess:
- Humble: Great team players lack excessive ego or concerns about status. They are quick to point out others’ contributions, slow to seek attention for their own, share credit freely, and prioritize team success over individual glory. He describes humility as the single most indispensable attribute for teamwork – it keeps the focus on the collective good rather than self-promotion (We > Me).
- Hungry: These team players have a strong work ethic and an innate drive to do more. They are self-motivated, proactive about taking on extra responsibilities, learning, and contributing, without needing constant pushing from managers. They maintain high energy and a desire for improvement that benefits the team, but it must be healthy to avoid burnout or imbalance.
- Smart: In this context, “smart” means interpersonal or emotional intelligence – having good judgment and intuition about people and situations. Smart team players read the room well, communicate effectively, make others feel appreciated and included, navigate relationships smoothly, and avoid awkward or insensitive interactions. It is not about raw IQ or technical skills, but how they make others feel.
Humble. Hungry. Smart. I like that, it has a nice ring to it. And it’s something I can remember.
Do your teammates exhibit these characteristics? And as a teammate yourself, which of these do you life consistently or struggle with regularly?
Thinking about the best teammates you have ever had, what would you add about them that isn’t captured above?
As we head into the second quarter of the year, I want to challenge you to be a great teammate. To be humble, hungry AND smart.
Thank you for reading. Have a great weekend!
If you are looking for some help creating a team that works, get in touch. You can reach us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
