Learning from the Champs

What would you like your boss to say about you?

"She comes to work on time?"

"He does what's asked of him?"

"She's a creative thinker?"

"He thinks ahead?"

How about this one? "He makes his teammates better."

Creative Commons "Nikola Jokic Free Throw" licensed under CC BY 2.0

That's how Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone described his star center after they clinched the 2023 NBA championship. It may be one of the best compliments you could ever receive.

When you make your teammates better, your effort is multiplied. Everyone succeeds because you're part of the team. You are the rising tide that lifts up the whole group.

Unfortunately, in our age of hyper-individualism, workers who make their teammates better are rare. But it doesn't have to be. We could make it part of our culture, part of the basic expectations of working in our organization. We could talk about it, reward it, and celebrate it. If we did, we'd all win a lot more often.