Jeff Cook’s Post

🔥 What if I told you the key to unlocking a powerhouse team isn't about talent or skills—but three simple traits? Yep, you read that right. According to The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni, the most valuable team members aren’t necessarily the ones with the best resumes or the highest IQs. They’re the ones who are Humble, Hungry, and Smart. 🧠💪 Earlier in my career, I thought being a great team player meant working harder and doing more. But it’s not about doing everything yourself—it’s about showing up with these three traits in balance. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻: 👉 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲: No ego. You give credit where it’s due and celebrate team wins like they’re your own. 👉 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗿𝘆: You’re always looking for more—more growth, more learning, more ways to contribute. You’ve got that fire inside. 👉 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁: Emotional smarts. You know how to read the room, understand people, and navigate those tricky dynamics with ease. When you have all three, you’re unstoppable. 💥 And more importantly, you make the entire team stronger, more cohesive, and more productive. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴? ⚠️ 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁: Great team player but doesn’t push themselves or understand others well. The team can stall. ⚠️ 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁: Super driven but can bulldoze others, creating conflict and division. ⚠️ 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗿𝘆: They know how to work with people, but without ambition or humility, it can turn manipulative. The ideal team player? They embody all three virtues. That’s the magic combination. So, ask yourself today: Am I showing up humble, hungry, and smart for my team? When I made that shift, everything changed. And trust me, it’s never too late to start. 🙌

As a kid, didn't you HATE it when your parents said, "because I said so"? 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗟𝗦𝗢 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘀𝗼.” Here's a better way to lead your team: Not everyone thinks like you or is in all the same meetings and discussions you are. People don't automatically understand WHY certain projects are being done and HOW their day-to-day work makes a difference. As a leader, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘁𝘀. You do this by creating a shared vision and goals using: 1️⃣ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆: Ensure everyone understands the Why not just the What. 2️⃣ 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: As much as possible, involve team members in setting goals and figuring out solutions to problems. 3️⃣ 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Align individuals' goals with team/department/company goals. 4️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Do regular check-ins and updates so everyone adjusts and STAYS aligned. 5️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Celebrate wins and milestones together. By sharing a vision and goals, team members are more than participants (or bystanders!). They're active contributors to the success of the team, department, and company! 🎖️ That builds a supportive and collaborative culture, which is essential to accomplishing great things. 🤝 Do you agree or disagree that sharing a vision and goals works better than "because I said so"? Tell us in a comment. 👇

As a kid, didn't you HATE it when your parents said, "because I said so"? 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗟𝗦𝗢 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘀𝗼.” Here's a better way to lead your team: Not everyone thinks like you or is in all the same meetings and discussions you are. People don't automatically understand WHY certain projects are being done and HOW their day-to-day work makes a difference. As a leader, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘁𝘀. You do this by creating a shared vision and goals using: 1️⃣ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆: Ensure everyone understands the Why not just the What. 2️⃣ 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: As much as possible, involve team members in setting goals and figuring out solutions to problems. 3️⃣ 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Align individuals' goals with team/department/company goals. 4️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Do regular check-ins and updates so everyone adjusts and STAYS aligned. 5️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Celebrate wins and milestones together. By sharing a vision and goals, team members are more than participants (or bystanders!). They're active contributors to the success of the team, department, and company! 🎖️ That builds a supportive and collaborative culture, which is essential to accomplishing great things. 🤝 Do you agree or disagree that sharing a vision and goals works better than "because I said so"? Tell us in a comment. 👇

My money is not growing My team is not growing My skills are not growing If you feel like this, then you need to read this post. If you ask other people, "what should I do?" Most will say “quit and find another opportunity" But that is not always the best advice Maybe this is your chance to be the light, be the leader, take a bad dish and make it good. Maybe your environment needs YOU to make it right. This is how - 1. Don’t find a solution, be the solution. Instead of waiting for others to fix issues, step up and show how it can be done. 2. Your actions can inspire change. Don’t look for the perfect environment, create the perfect environment. Build a workplace where everyone feels valued and motivated. Small changes like celebrating successes and encouraging feedback can make a big difference. 3. Don’t ignore the problems, face the problems. Tackle issues head-on rather than avoiding them. Addressing problems promptly can help you scale, fail faster, and learn faster. 4. Don’t blame your team, lead your team. When things go wrong, focus on solutions and team growth instead of pointing fingers. Leading with accountability builds an unbreakable team. This belief helped me considerably. It helped me take accountability for my own life and build it on my terms - especially when things were looking down. Do you agree? ♻ Repost and follow Sahas Chopra for more.

POV: You're a newly promoted manager Stepping into a new role Leading a team... This is uncharted territory. You're scared to make mistakes. You don't want to look foolish in front of your peers. It's stressing you out. Are you in over your head? What should you do? It's a BIG shift, going from individual contributor to people-manager. 💡 Then you remember something valuable David shared. "A team that trusts each other, stays together." Trust makes or breaks your team dynamics. It's the reason why so many people leave companies... So how do you build trust? → actively listening to your team → having their back → doing what you say you'll do → sharing who you are on the inside ... The last one is toughest for many people. Connecting with others at a deep level is not easy. You have to be vulnerable. You have to let your guard down. You have to be comfortable sharing your imperfections. The best way to show people that you are human is to tell your real-life stories. Stories of your... • darkest moments • mistakes that defined your life • courage and bravery to do the impossible Very few people know how to tell their story in such a way that... 1. connects deeply 2. inspires action 3. builds trust with peers and strangers It's not an easy thing to do... But you have to start in order to reach your destination. 🦋

How Weird Teams Succeed More than Normal Teams 👽👇🏻 Amy from SUPER*MEGA*BOSS here… where are my fellow weird leaders and teams? Imagine a team where every member brings their own unique quirks, unconventional ideas and perspectives to the table. It's a team where everyone is encouraged to embrace their weirdness and work together to achieve success. This approach can actually make the team stronger in a number of ways! Instead of shying away from what makes us unique, we celebrate it and use it to our advantage. By embracing weirdness, we can create a team that is truly one-of-a-kind and capable of achieving greatness because its members are… 1. Creative and Innovative: Weirdness can make a team better. It refers to the unique quirks, perspectives, and unconventional ideas of each member. Embracing it can make the team more innovative and stronger. 2. Engaging in Diverse Thinking: Embracing team members' weirdness promotes diversity of thought. Valuing and leveraging this diversity leads to more robust solutions. 3. Risk-Takers: Teams that embrace weirdness are open to experimentation and taking calculated risks. This can lead to valuable learning opportunities, discoveries, and unexpected successes that propel the team forward. ..and so much more! Weirdness honestly gets a bad name for no reason, especially seeing as it actually promotes psychological safety on a team. When we embrace the unique qualities that each individual brings to a team, we create a safe space where everyone feels valued and free to express themselves authentically. This fosters a sense of trust and mutual respect among team members, which is essential for effective collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. By this point, you are probably ready to get weird! Email me amy@supermegaboss.com to learn more about how we use the weirdness of human behavior to have authentic and honest conversations on how to lead others effectively.

'We are all working for our own individual success rather than the success of the team'. Sound familiar? I heard this from a client today. Its a situation I have seen in most of the teams I have worked with - and I've been guilty of behaving like this too. Its our default option and it's what we do when we don't have a compelling reason to do anything else. We put ourselves first. BUT if you want a successful team then this needs to be tackled head on. You can't afford not to. In my work with teams, I tackle this with: ✅ A clear team purpose: Why are we here ✅ A clear and jointly defined strategy: What are we here to do ✅ A clear plan: How will we do this together You define it - you write it - you own it I'm here as the cheerleader for your team. I'll ask the difficult questions I'll bring a different perspective and together we will build a successful team. 📩 Tell me: Is this a problem for your team and if so how are you tackling it?

This piece of advice changed my life: "Make your A’s A+’s and find someone else to do your C’s for you." A master of all is a master of none. You’ll find more success when you focus on the things you’re good at. Without having to get fixated on your shortcomings. My A+ talents are superconnecting to solve problems and storytelling. The reason I built a team is to bring in subject matter experts to do all the things I suck at. I could beat myself up trying to learn how to lead product, engineering, design, amongst a million other things, but in my mind, that's a waste of time because I’ll never be the best at it. When you align your passions with your talents, magic happens. I’d rather be the best at very few things and fill in the holes around me. At the end of the day, I just want to win. In order to do so, I have to put my ego aside and build a roster of A+ players to make it happen. I care about results. If I have to give up control over certain parts of the operation to increase the chance of success, I’m in. Assembling a team of world-class subject matter experts is much more effective than trying to do it all. If I master my superpowers the rest will take care of itself.

True success starts with personal accountability. Personal accountability drives collective success. When each person owns their tasks and outcomes, the entire team benefits. Key elements of fostering personal accountability include: ↳ Setting clear expectations and goals. ↳ Encouraging ownership of tasks and outcomes. ↳ Providing regular feedback and support. ↳ Promoting a culture of trust and transparency. ↳ Recognizing and rewarding responsible behavior. ↳ Leading by example. What this approach achieves: ↳ Enhances individual performance. ↳ Builds a stronger, more reliable team. ↳ Creates a positive and productive work environment. ↳ Drives the team toward shared goals with greater efficiency. ↳ Cultivates a sense of pride and ownership among team members. Remember, when everyone is accountable, the team moves forward together, stronger and more unified. ✌️ ********** Ring the 🔔 and follow Jad for more daily content ♻️ Repost to spread the message

Letting go and trusting your team is a skill every founder must master. Weezie's Lindsey Johnson has one big piece of advice: Hire people smarter than you in every role - then take a step back. Lindsey had to learn to ease up on the reins, even when she might have had a different opinion. She would tell herself: → You brought in experts for a reason → They have skills you don't → Trust them to do what they do best As the founder, it’s natural to have your own thoughts on how things should be done. But if you’re constantly stepping in with your team, you run the risk of undermining their abilities. If you've hired right, your job is to get out of their way. Delegating allows them to shine and allows you to get on with the business of growing the company. "At some point, you kind of have to let it go." Wise words from an incredible founder that’s built a thriving team. — What's a task you're still holding onto that you should delegate? For more gems from Lindsey Johnson, catch this week's Marketing Factor dropping tomorrow.