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

by Patrick Lencioni

In my book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, I explained that real teamwork requires tangible, specific behaviors: vulnerability-based trust, healthy conflict, active commitment, peer-to-peer accountability, and a focus on results.

the three underlying virtues that enable them to be ideal team players: they are humble, hungry, and smart.

Leaders who can identify, hire, and cultivate employees who are humble, hungry, and smart will have a serious advantage over those who cannot.

We need to hire people who are hungry. They go beyond what is required. Passionate about the work they're doing. Hungry.”

Jeff drew three circles on the board, creating a Venn diagram of sorts. He then wrote the words humble, hungry, and smart next to the circles.

Most training and development comes down to how much a person wants to change.”

I'm convinced that “the right people” are the ones who have the three virtues in common—humility, hunger, and people smarts.

Great team players lack excessive ego or concerns about status. They are quick to point out the contributions of others and slow to seek attention for their own. They share credit, emphasize team over self, and define success collectively rather than individually. It is no great surprise, then, that humility is the single greatest and most indispensable attribute of being a team player.

Insecurity makes some people project overconfidence, and others discount their own talents. And while these types are not equal when it comes to creating problems on a team, they each diminish performance.

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.

In the context of a team, 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.

Could a person fully practice the five behaviors at the heart of teamwork (see the model on page 214) if he or she didn't buy into the idea of being humble, hungry, and smart? The answer was a resounding no.

Humble Only: The Pawn

Hungry Only: The Bulldozer

Smart Only: The Charmer

Humble and Hungry, but Not Smart: The Accidental Mess-Maker

Humble and Smart, but Not Hungry: The Lovable Slacker

Hungry and Smart, but Not Humble: The Skillful Politician

There are four primary applications of the ideal team player model within an organization: (1) hiring, (2) assessing current employees, (3) developing employees who are lacking in one or more of the virtues, and (4) embedding the model into an organization's culture. Let's look at these one at a time.

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.

Interview Questions

Humble “Tell me about the most important accomplishments of your career.” Look for more mentions of we than I.

“What was the most embarrassing moment in your career? Or the biggest failure?” Look for whether the candidate celebrates that embarrassment or is mortified by it.

“How did you handle that embarrassment or failure?” Again, look for specifics about how he accepted responsibility, what he learned from it, and if he actually acted on what he learned.

“What is your greatest weakness?” Yes, this is a tired question, but it's still a great one. The key is to look for answers that are real and a little painful.

“How do you handle apologies, either giving or accepting them?” Look for and ask for specifics. Humble people are not afraid to say they are sorry, and they accept other people's genuine apologies with grace.

“Tell me about someone who is better than you in an area that really matters to you.” Look for the candidate to demonstrate a genuine appreciation for others who have more skill or talent.

Hungry “What is the hardest you've ever worked on something in your life?” Look for specific examples of real but joyful sacrifice.

“What do you like to do when you're not working?” Look out for too many time-consuming hobbies that suggest the candidate sees the job as a means to do other things.

“Did you work hard when you were a teenager?” Look for specifics, usually relating to schoolwork, sports, or jobs.

“What kinds of hours do you generally work?” Hardworking people usually don't want to work nine to five, unless their unique life situations demand it.

Smart

“How would you describe your personality?” Look for how accurately the person describes what you are observing and how introspective he is.

“What do you do that others in your personal life might find annoying?” Everyone annoys someone, sometimes. Especially at home. Smart people are not immune to this. But neither are they in the dark about it.

“What kind of people annoy you the most, and how do you deal with them?” What you're looking for here are self-awareness and self-control. Smart people know their pet peeves, and they own the fact that some of those pet peeves are their own issues.

“Would your former colleagues describe you as an empathic person?” or “Can you give me an example of how you've demonstrated empathy to a teammate?” Some people use the word empathetic. The issue is whether the candidate seems to understand what others are feeling.

the most important question that interviewers can ask to ascertain whether a candidate is smart is one that they should ask themselves: Would I want to work with this person every day?

Application #2: Assessing Current Employees

there are three outcomes of this evaluation: (1) confirming that the employee is an ideal team player, (2) helping the employee improve and become one, or (3) deciding to move the employee out.

Manager Assessment

Humble Does he genuinely compliment or praise teammates without hesitation? Does she easily admit when she makes a mistake? Is he willing to take on lower-level work for the good of the team? Does she gladly share credit for team accomplishments? Does he readily acknowledge his weaknesses? Does she offer and receive apologies graciously?

Hungry Does he do more than what is required in his own job? Does she have passion for the “mission” of the team? Does he feel a sense of personal responsibility for the overall success of the team? Is she willing to contribute to and think about work outside of office hours? Is he willing and eager to take on tedious and challenging tasks whenever necessary? Does she look for opportunities to contribute outside of her area of responsibility?

Smart Does he seem to know what teammates are feeling during meetings and interactions? Does she show empathy to others on the team? Does he demonstrate an interest in the lives of teammates? Is she an attentive listener? Is he aware of how his words and actions impact others on the team? Is she good at adjusting her behavior and style to fit the nature of a conversation or relationship?

Employee Self-Assessment

I believe that the most effective way to assess employees is often to ask them to evaluate themselves.

Instructions: Use the scale below to indicate how each statement applies to your actions on the team. Respond as honestly as possible, as this will allow you to most accurately identify any areas of development that you may have. Scale: 3 = Usually 2 = Sometimes 1 = Rarely Humble My teammates would say: ______ 1. I compliment or praise them without hesitation. ______ 2. I easily admit to my mistakes. ______ 3. I am willing to take on lower-level work for the good of the team. ______ 4. I gladly share credit for team accomplishments. ______ 5. I readily acknowledge my weaknesses. ______ 6. I offer and accept apologies graciously. ______ Total Humility Score Hungry My teammates would say: ______ 7. I do more than what is required in my own job. ______ 8. I have passion for the “mission” of the team. ______ 9. I feel a sense of personal responsibility for the overall success of the team. ______ 10. I am willing to contribute to and think about work outside of office hours. ______ 11. I am willing to take on tedious or challenging tasks whenever necessary. ______ 12. I look for opportunities to contribute outside of my area of responsibility. ______ Total Hunger Score Smart My teammates would say: ______ 13. I generally understand what others are feeling during meetings and conversations. ______ 14. I show empathy to others on the team. ______ 15. I demonstrate an interest in the lives of my teammates. ______ 16. I am an attentive listener. ______ 17. I am aware of how m...

Scoring:

Remember, the purpose of this tool is to help you explore and assess how you embody the three virtues of an ideal team player. The standards for “ideal” are high. An ideal team player will have few of these statements answered with anything lower than a ‘3’ (usually) response. A score of 18 or 17 is an indication that the virtue is a potential strength. A score range of 16 to 14 is an indication that you most likely have some work to do around that virtue to become an ideal team player. A score of 13 or lower is an indication that you need improvement around that virtue to become an ideal team player.

Application #3: Developing Employees Who Are Lacking in One or More of the Virtues