Teamwork . . . Pass It On

"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."
- Harry S. Truman

What a year for sports!  A few weeks ago, my favorite basketball team- the San Antonio Spurs- won the NBA championship (for the 5th time in 15 years).  Yesterday, my favorite soccer team- the Germany national team ("Mannschaft")- won the World Cup.  While I'm excited that both were ultimately victorious, for me it's especially enjoyable because both organizations built their success on a firm foundation of teamwork.

What is teamwork?  I define it as follows: the cooperative, collaborative actions of a group who seek to obtain a common objective efficiently and effectively.  They do this by putting the goal ahead of the individual- in a word, by being selfless. 

Teamwork is a concept often discussed in society today, and (rightly) upheld as necessary for success- but I see an inconsistency in the message.  We uphold teamwork as important . . . but look at the prevalence of commentary focused on individuals in sports journalism.  Who has dominated recent conversation in the NBA?  LeBron James (whose Miami Heat were soundly defeated by the Spurs in the finals).  In the World Cup, commentators consistently talked about whether or not Lionel Messi could lead Argentina to victory over the German team- he couldn't.  In both cases, the individuals overshadowed the rest of the squad- and the media loves that individual focus (watch a Portugal game some time and count how many times Ronaldo's name comes up).  They give a token nod to the true teams, then proceed to focus on only some individuals.  I contend this sends a wrong message.  Yes, some players are better than others.  But the teams are who wins and loses.  Everybody has a role- and important one- to play.  Nobody is good enough to win it alone.

Good displays of teamwork can be rare in sports (or society)- because putting something other than me first runs against my natural inclinations.  I want the credit.  Me me me me.  I love the Spurs and German soccer teams because they really do break this mold.  Both have a 'pass first' mentality that has proven successful.  And, as a (somewhat amusing) consequence, the media finds them comparatively uninteresting.  As a Spurs fan, a common complaint about them is that they just play good team ball . . . no flash, no controversy, no individual story lines- they just go out, play as a team, and win championships.  How boring.  We need flash!  We need drama!  All this selflessness isn't good for the TV ratings!  And the Germans!  Those crazy guys . . . they could be right in front of the goal and pass it!  It's like it's not about personal glory at all or something!  Sheesh. 

I could continue my rant, but I'll conclude here.  Thank you, San Antonio and Germany, for demonstrating that true teamwork- putting the good of the team above self- can not only work, but win championships.  You both deserve you trophies- hold them high, as a team.