In 100 Words: There is No “I” in “Team”

The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say ‘I’. And that’s not because they have trained themselves not to say ‘I’. They don’t think ‘I’. They think ‘we’; they think ‘team’. They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don’t sidestep it, but ‘we’ gets the credit…. This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done. — Peter Drucker

There is no “I” in the word “team.” It’s a popular business saying that is sometimes overused.  Despite its overuse, the words are still true.  A leader does not exist alone.  He must have committed followers to implement a shared vision of a better future. For this reason, the leader’s focus must be on facilitating his team’s success–not on fulfilling his own personal ambition and glorification. True leaders serve their followers with the best interests of the enterprise always above their own.  If you as a leader have made everything about you, then frankly you have lost your way!

Tagged as: emotional intelligence, leadership, motivation, people skills

About the Author

Robert Tanner is the founder of the Management is a Journey Blog and Principal Consultant at Business Consulting Solutions LLC. He is a certified change management consultant, management mentor, trainer, and an Adjunct Professor of Management. Robert has a passion for helping managers and leaders fulfill their potential. Connect with Robert on Google+ and Twitter. To join the mailing list, subscribe here.