I think we can all agree there is one thing that successful people have in common, and that is a team that makes them better.  Over the years, we continue to watch individuals win and lose everything and, in many cases, it can partially be blamed on the people behind them.  Corporate leaders often hire coaches, and professional athletes often hire their friends, who are inexperienced in dealing with the plethora of opportunities that arise.  Some of these opportunities are good and some, not so much.  An average athlete with a great posse will extend their career opportunity long after their playing years.  A great athlete with an incompetent posse is mostly headed down a rocky road.

As a corporate business speaker and a business coach to athletes and entertainers, I share the same message that I share with corporate professionals.  You never know who you’re talking to.  All of our careers come with one guarantee—it will end.  What’s important is making sure you have people in your life whom you trust to give you good advice.  As individuals, we hire professionals to handle our more technical issues, but when it comes to common sense decisions, we typically rely on family or friends.  So, when does a team become ineffective for their leader?

When:

• their personal interest is put in front of the personality, leader or team goals
• they get caught up in the euphoria of celebrity, and
• they stop learning how to improve themselves.

Don’t let your posse take you down.  Everyone should have a role and responsibility.  If their role is indefinable, then there is no position for them.  On the other hand, a great team can bring about more opportunity than you can imagine.

The winning equation is focus + initiative + autonomy + accountability = optimal performance.