The foundation of Patrick Lencioni's book and concept, The Ideal Team Player, rests on three essential virtues: humble, hungry, and smart. Aiming for a harmonious blend of these qualities, an ideal team player exhibits collaborative humility, a proactive hunger for success, and effective interpersonal smartness. This model emphasizes that teams composed of individuals embodying these virtues function seamlessly, navigating challenges with efficiency.
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The impact of ideal team players extends beyond mere competence, addressing the core issues of dysfunctional behaviors that often hinder team progress. Teams embracing the unique combination of humility, hunger, and smartness witness increased efficiency, faster problem resolution, and minimized distractions.
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Our consulting and coaching services offer tailored guidance, aiding teams in embodying these virtues and unleashing their full collaborative potential.
The Model
HUMBLE
Ideal team players are humble. They lack excessive ego or concerns about status. They are quick to point out the contributions of others and slow to seek recognition for their own. They share credit, emphasize team over self, and define success collectively rather than individually.
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HUNGRY
Ideal team players are hungry. They are always looking for more—more things to do, more to learn, more responsibility. Hungry people rarely 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.
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SMART
Ideal team players are smart. They are emotionally intelligent and have common sense about people. They tend to know what is happening in a group situation and how to effectively deal with others. They have good judgment and intuition around the subtleties of group dynamics and the impact of their words and actions.
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What makes this model so powerful and unique is the required combination of all three attributes together. If even one attribute is missing in a team member, teamwork becomes significantly more difficult and sometimes even impossible.
"Leaders who can identify, hire, and cultivate employees who are humble, hungry, and smart will have a serious advantage over those who cannot."
Patrick Lencioni, The Ideal Team Player
