The Power of Team

TAKING THE LEAD

The Power of the Team

Scott Humphrey CEO, WFCA

The most important team members are often the least visible. In business and in the world at large, we tend to glorify those on the stage and forget the sacrifice, wisdom, and expertise of those behind the curtain.

There are numerous examples in sports of the importance of teams. In fact, many of the GOATS (Greatest of All Time) were greater because of the team that surrounded them. Would Michael Jordan have been the same if not for Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and the supporting cast of the Chicago Bulls? We will never know… because it is impossible to separate the team from the superstar. But the concept of team is not limited to the world of athletics. Think about Lewis and Clark, Abbot and Costello, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, Helen Keller, and Anne Sullivan…and I could go on. The fact is success is easier to attain and simpler to sustain when you don’t get there alone.

One of my favorite movies of all time is Apollo 13. Being a history junkie, I love the fact that it is based on actual NASA transcripts from an amazingly harrowing flight into space. It was the 7th manned mission in the Apollo space program, and the third meant to land on the moon. But it didn’t. Instead, there was an explosion of an oxygen tank that changed the destiny of the mission and ultimately every member of the team…including those who weren’t on the flight. Ron Howard does an amazing job capturing the precision required to launch a manned craft into space and the raw emotion that consumes when the unthinkable occurs. Using the true story of this amazing flight, let’s take a deeper look at the power of the team.

1. Teams function best if every member of the team understands their

unique role. On the Apollo 13 flight, responsibilities were well defined. The mission was commanded by Jim Lovell. Jack Swigert was command module commander, and Fred Haise was the planned Lunar Module pilot. Each was considered essential for a successful mission, and every individual trained uniquely for their role. Leaders often make the mistake of surrounding themselves with others just like them—same strengths and same weaknesses. This is a slow path to ultimate failure.

2. The most important team members are often the least visible. In busi-

ness and in the world at large, we tend to glorify those on the stage and forget the sacrifice, wisdom, and expertise of those behind the curtain. If not for those on earth working tirelessly to achieve the impossible and get a disabled spacecraft back safely to earth, there would be no Apollo 13 movie, and I would not be sharing this “success” story. Once the explosion occurred, there was little the crew could do. Success and ultimately survival would depend on the nameless heroes at flight command in Houston. Don’t forget to honor those who make the impossible possible.

3. The team is strongest when the challenge is greatest. Day in and day out,

we face unexpected situations that call on someone on the team to step out of the shadows and step up to the challenge. Previously I mentioned that Jack Swigert was the command module pilot, but that wasn’t the original plan. Ken Mattingly, who was originally selected and had trained relentlessly for that role, had to be replaced just days prior to launch because of his exposure to rubella. I have seen members desert the team when they are not selected for the glory role. Strong teams place value on all members. In the case of Apollo 13, Ken Mattingly went from zero to hero. Had he not been grounded and able to step into the training module and determine the correct power on sequence, it is probable that Apollo 13 would be considered one of NASA’s greatest failures.

I still remember that day in April of 1970. Our school stopped to pray for the astronauts. Even experts at NASA felt the chance of a successful return was dismal—and it would have been if it were not for the power of the team. If you desire success, work hard, stay focused, and invest in your team! ■

The team is strongest when the challenge is greatest. Day in and day out, we face unexpected situations that call on someone on the team to step out of the shadows and step up to the challenge.