The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues (J-B Lencioni Series)

by Patrick Lencioni

A person who has a disproportionately deflated sense of self-worth often hurts teams by not advocating for their own ideas or by failing to call attention to problems that they see. Though this kind of lack of humility is less obtrusive and obvious than the other, more...

What both of these types have in common is insecurity. Insecurity makes some peopl...

and others discount their own talents. And while these types are not equal when it comes to creating problems on a tea...

Hungry people are always looking for more. More things to do. More to learn. More responsibility to take on. Hungry people almost never have to be pushed by a manager to work harder because they are self-motivated and diligent. They are constantly thinking about the next step and the next opportunity. And they loathe the idea that they might be perceived as slackers.

some types of hunger are not good for a team and are even unhealthy.

When I refer to hunger here, I'm thinking about the healthy kind—a manageable and sustainable commitment to doing a job well and going above and beyond when it is truly required.

unproductive, dispassionate people tend to stand out and create obvious problems on a team.

most candidates know how to falsely project a sense of hunger during standard interviews.

spending inordinate amounts of time trying to motivate, punish, or dismiss non-hungry team me...

it is not about intellectual capacity.

smart simply refers to a person's common sense about people. It has everything to do with the ability to be interpersonally appropriate and aware. Smart people tend to know what is happening in a group situation and how to deal with others in the most effective way. They ask good questions, listen to what others are saying, and stay engaged in conversations intently.

Smart people just have good judgment and intuition around the subtleties of group dynamics and the impact of their words and actions.

they don't say and do things—or fail to say and do things—without knowing the likely responses of their colleagues.

What makes humble, hungry, and smart powerful and unique is not the individual attributes themselves, but rather the required combination of all three.

an organization's values can't be copied or borrowed; they need to be true reflections of the unique history and culture of that organization.

vulnerable and build trust, engage in productive but uncomfortable conflict with team members, commit to group decisions even if they initially disagree, hold their peers accountable when they see performance gaps that can be addressed, and put the results of the team ahead of their own needs.

Ideal team players possess adequate measures of humility, hunger, and people smarts. They have little ego when it comes to needing attention

credit for their contributions, and they are comfortable sharing their accolades or even occasionally missing out on them. Ideal team players work with a sense of energy, passion, and personal responsibility, taking on whatever they possibly can for the good of the team. Finally, they say and do the right things to help teammates feel appreciated, understood, and included, even when difficult situations arise that require tough love. Most of us can recall having managed or worked with ideal team players in our careers, as they are quite appealing and memorable.

Don't Be Generic

Debrief Each Interview as a Team

interviewers should debrief

quickly after each interview, specifically around observations related to humility, hunger, and people smarts.

Consider Group Interviews

Some people are much different one-on-one than they are in a group, and you need to know that. Make

Someone once told me that the best way to know if you should hire a person is to go on a cross-country business trip with him. See how he handles himself in stressful, interactive situations and over long periods of time.

interviews should incorporate interaction with diverse groups of people in everyday situations and that they should be longer than forty-five minutes.

get out of the office with a candidate and see him deal with people in an un...

Ask Questions More than Once I call this the Law & Order principle.

Ask What Others Would Say This one relates somewhat to the previous suggestion. Instead of asking candidates to self-assess a given behavior or characteristic related to humility, hunger, or people smarts, ask them what others would say about them.

Ask Candidates to Do Some Real Work

Don't Ignore Hunches

Scare People with Sincerity

Let candidates know that they would be called out for their behavior, again and again, and that they'd eventually dread coming to work.

Many people will try to get a job even if they don't fit the company's stated values, but very few will do so if they know that they're going to be held accountable, day in and day out, for behavior that violates the values.

“Tell me about the most important accomplishments of your career.”

“What was the most embarrassing moment in your career? Or the biggest failure?”

“How did you handle that embarrassment or failure?”

“What is your greatest weakness?”

“How do you handle apologies, either giving or accepting them?”

“Tell me about someone who is better than you in an area that really matters to you.”

“What is the hardest you've ever worked on something in your life?” Look for specific examples of real but joyful sacrifice. In other words, the candidate isn't complaining, but is grateful for the experience.

“Did you work hard when you were a teenager?”

“What kinds of hours do you generally work?” Hardworking people usually

But if a candidate is satisfied with a predictable schedule and talks too much about “balance,” there's a chance he isn't terribly hungry.

Smart

observing her general behavior during an interview process and the way she answers questions.

That's why it's important to put her in situations that are not like traditional interviews.

for a longer period of time in a fluid situation, it is much harder.

“How would you describe your personality?”

Smart people generally know themselves and find it interesting to talk about their behavioral strengths and weaknesses.