bcg blog

The Talent or The Team

We’re in the midst of putting together a hodgepodge basketball team to compete in the few tournaments being held across the country. It’s 2020 and the majority of the major cities that usually host youth basketball tournaments are shut down. However, there is one place that is still consistently hosting tournaments: Rock Hill, South Carolina. 

After a miserable experience with a team, I use that term loosely, constructed based solely on talent and potential; we decide to try the other side of the coin. We prioritize a willingness to put the team first, a desire to pass the ball, and a willingness to serve teammates. Of course we wanted talented players, but unselfishness would take priority every time.

Many of these players were always viewed as ‘good’ players, but never as the best. In comparison with the bigger, stronger, faster players they compete against, our guys are typically viewed as a notch, or five, below. Nonetheless, we believe in our guys. 

We have our team together, so all we need is a name. 
It came to us around the dinner table as we finished off the remains from the previous night’s meal. Our team name would be “The Leftovers”. Intimidating, huh? It’s perfect. That’s exactly who we are. We’re not a collection of the most talented guys. We’re the ones left after the first picking … and we’re good with that.

We immediately call our co-conspirators, the Sheppards, to float the team name. They love it. Uniforms are next. We could get a sponsor and some fancy jerseys with a cool design and each player's names on the back. Or, we could get plain blue mesh jerseys with nothing on them but a stock number screen printed on the back. 

Which one says Leftovers to you? Right.
Plain blue it is. 

Why Should We Care?
The results of our experiment surprised even us a little. We won, a lot. Usually by a lot. And, we never lost. Like all summer teams, especially during the Covid-era, our roster fluctuated from weekend to weekend. Of course, we had our regulars, but the rest of the roster consisted of players that would go on to play college hoops at various levels and a few that would stop playing all together before graduating high school. 

Regardless of the roster, The Leftovers always won. The priority of the team over talent was undefeated. Obviously we have to be in the talent-ballpark. But, when we are, the team gains a drastic advantage - not the talent. Every. Time.

Leaders like to say the team is important, but they don’t believe it. They like to complain about the functioning of the unit, but refuse to lean into members that embody the fabric of the team. 

As Gandhi so accurately stated, “Actions express priorities.” 

You never have to ask a leader which they value, just watch:
Is the leader attempting to put the best group together to solve a problem or simply throwing the most talent available at it?
Is there an appreciation for all roles or an elevated value placed on the roles directly connected to the tangible results?
Who gets opportunities - the guy serving himself or the guy serving the team?
Does the talent of some individuals allow them more … I’ll call it grace? 

The biggest challenge we face in the battle between talent and team is our affection for results. There is no question that prioritizing talent can lead to great results at times. And, there is no doubt committing to a focus on the team is a risk that runs the chance of never coming to fruition. Some teams never come together. Most talent earns what the talent says it should. It’s the safer bet.

There is one significant downside to prioritizing talent over the team as a leader though: you never reach your full potential. No matter what success you attain, a mutual drive, purpose, and passion of the group to the goal would raise it. 

Talent is certainly important, and present, on great teams. But, for teams prioritizing the group, the talent doesn’t need to be equal. It just needs to be close … and not nearly as close as most people think.

REAL TALK - Action Steps
Of course I’m a believer in the team over the talent. Why wouldn’t I be? I’m not very talented. But, I’ve also seen the team do things no amount of talent would produce; create passions and emotions that bond a group that no collection of talent could replicate. Here’s a few ideas on setting that into motion for you team:

• Set Your Standards 
  
  • How do you want your team to operate? Write it down. Clearly. Now share it with the people on your team. Clarity is king. Others can’t buy into the group until they know exactly what the group stands for. 
    

• Hold Your Standards
  
  • The more clarity you have in your standards the more conviction those who choose to be a part of your team will have in upholding them. If the team is a priority, you don’t walk by below standard actions. If talent is the priority, you do.
    

• Use Your Standards
  
  • In team-centered groups, your standards are your ultimate filter for decisions. Use them as such. All additions or subtractions are considered through the lens of your standards first and talent is considered second. If a change doesn’t fit your standards, no amount of talent will make it worth it.
    

It’s your team. Lead it however you want. But, if you aspire for your group to reach its full potential, there is really only one option in regards to priorities: the team is number one.

Checkout Surrender the Outcome on Amazon and order The Score That Matters with Ryan Hawk & Brook Cupps. The latest blog from Blue Collar Grit can be found here!