Learn from my mistakes. There’s plenty of material there! Ha!

I’ve experienced many teams throughout my life whether it’s sports, detassling corn, my network marketing business, building my current business, and always within my home. There was one team I was on that caused me so much stress I felt like I was having a heart attack in my mid 30’s. The stress was getting to me in a big way, and I was too deep in the weeds to see it for what it was. It was poison to me. Once I got on the other side, I reflected for many hours on many days to learn from that experience.

There’s a whole lotta “I’s” in that reflection because being on a team whether it’s leading it (which I was) or being a follower starts with us. It doesn’t matter which team I’m on, I now always consider what I bring to the table, where I need to stay in my lane, and how I can support those around me.

A very long time ago, I truly believed “if I want something done right, I better do it myself” which is arrogant and controlling. Sure, there are some things that can’t be delegated. But, if you’re living in a world where nothing can be delegated, I feel concerned for you. Delegation can be hard because it doesn’t get done quite the way we want. This is an opportunity to grow as a communicator and task/project manager. Anything you want to accomplish is better as a team when you find the right team.

Here are some tips on becoming a better team player and how to build the right team:

1. What do I bring to the table that no one else can?
   • It can NOT be everything. Narrow it down.
2. What can I delegate to someone else?
   • What exactly needs to be done and how do I want it done?
   • What’s the deadline?
   • When things aren’t done quite right, how can I kindly and clearly address it?
     • Finding the right person: What character traits and skills does this person or do these people need?
       • What is essential and where is it okay for them to grow over time?
       • Remember, skills can be learned more easily than character traits.
3. Who do I need to share deadlines and schedules with?
   • How do I hold my team accountable? This is a hard one for me and is a great area for my personal growth. We are all a work in progress!
   • This is really important on the home front. During my “busy” (ugh… I don’t like that word. How about hyper-productive?) season, my family knows life will look a little different short term. It’s clearly laid out what it will look like, how long, when we will have time for connection and fun, and the pay off. My goal is to have as much of my summer/school breaks off as possible to enjoy with my kids which means there are some sacrifices during the school year.
4. Where do I need to grow?
   • Leadership on a team starts with the leader. Everything trickles down from there!

There are many more things I can share, but this creates a solid foundation without being too overwhelming. If the current people I have in my life weren’t a part of building my dream, it wouldn’t be happening. That’s not humility. It’s truth. Each person has brought something to the table that I can’t or don’t want to do. They do it so dang well, too! Start with yourself. Then, start building your team. You won’t regret it especially when you create the right team.