In building a successful team, there’s an important lesson to be learned in both business and in sports, according to Jerry Rollins, CEO of Sage Executive Group.
It’s wisdom he acquired not in a graduate school business class, but in the day-to-day challenges of drawing the best from available talent, whether from the sales force of a company striving to meet profit goals, or a professional hockey team hustling to score victories.
“What I learned in business,” said Rollins in a presentation to about 50 business executives in August, is that “there’s a very thin line between winning and losing.” Key factors to success are shared vision and values, commitment to goals “owned” by everyone in the organization, and leadership at every level of the company.
Rollins’ talk drew from his experiences helping grow companies and helping chief executives work together on some of their toughest problems in the confidential environment of Sage Executive Group, peer advisory organization created three years ago.
Much of the video features his give and take with executives making critical budgetary and personnel decisions. Every team has A, B and C players, and the discussion centered on the importance of having an action plan for every employee and a way to assess and deal with the effect they have on the company’s success or failure. Hiring, too, is a critical component in which the team leader has a critical responsibility for recruiting from a carefully cultivated network of high performers.
To view Rollins presentation, and his interaction with top San Diego-area CEOs, go to Building Great Teams.
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