One of a leader’s greatest challenges is constructing a great team. A team that is profitable, highly-effective and championship level. There are a tremendous number of complexities involved in accomplishing this task – skills, experience, youth, diversity, networks and the one thing which is most elusive of all – team chemistry.
Duke Blue Devils head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski appeared on The Herd With Colin Cowherd radio show and said, “When you have chemistry it means it’s bigger than the parts. And when you have great parts and you have chemistry, then you have a championship-level team.”
How do you acquire team chemistry? During Coach K’s interview he gave us 9 Things Leaders Do To Develop Team Chemistry:
- Developing Team Chemistry Takes Time – When discussing the Cleveland Cavaliers and their new players, Coach K said, “With newness there is a period of adjustment.”
- Developing Team Chemistry Takes Adaptability – He added, “A key word in developing chemistry is adaptability. One of those guys (LeBron, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love) can’t know the final answer.”
- Developing Team Chemistry Takes A Deep Sense Of Ownership – He goes on, “The best way to have chemistry is for people to adapt to each other and then everybody feels ownership.”
- Developing Team Chemistry Takes Experienced Personnel – When asked about the which of his teams had the best chemistry, Coach K noted his 2010 national championship team. He said, “We had three seniors and two juniors and we didn’t have a star.”
- Developing Team Chemistry Is Modeled By The Leader – You would think with Coach K’s reputation and level of success, everyone would have to adapt to him. They do but more is required. Coach K admitted he has to adapt as well. He said, “You have to adapt to the kids I coach today. They’re different than they were five years ago…I’m 67. The guys I coach I’m 40-50 years older. If I don’t adapt, I’m going to lose them.”
- Developing Team Chemistry Requires The Leader To Proactively Build Bridges – Great teams have a shared philosophy, an ethos, and it starts with the leader. Coach K admitted, “I have to make sure I’m speaking their language.”
- Developing Team Chemistry Is Achieved By Showing Respect And Demonstrating Value – He said, “You have to get in their world a little bit. You don’t have to get into their world, like drastic. But it shows their world is important. And it is.”
Coach K made note of LeBron James for not just his athletic ability, but also the type of teammate he is. As an additional bonus, the following are 7 lessons on developing team chemistry I gleaned from a Sports Illustrated October 27th on the Cavaliers:
- Developing Team Chemistry Happens By Putting Others First – LeBron’s youth league basketball coach Sonny Walker said, “What he didn’t know at the time is I was doing all that for LeBron as much as I was doing it for Sonny (the worst player on the team). He had to learn how to put his teammates first.”
- Develop Team Chemistry Happens By Celebrating The Achievements Of Others – LeBron said, “I remember those moments so clearly. It felt as if I made the shots myself. In some ways it felt better. I wanted to keep having that feeling.”
- Develop Team Chemistry Happens By Trusting Each Other – Kevin Love said, “The only thing you really know is that you’ve seen him do for guys before.”
- Develop Team Chemistry Happens By Consistently Putting Yourself In The Place Of Others – LeBron noted, “When I first got to Cleveland, I knew how to play for myself, how to myself a look but I wasn’t thinking strategically. I wasn’t seeing the game for my teammates.”
- Developing Team Chemistry Happens By Sacrificing For Each Other – Former teammate Damon Jones on earning James’s trust, “It wasn’t all about making shots. He’d come to you even if you missed 10 in a row. But he wanted to see you out there before practice. He wanted to know you were working and were ready.”
- Developing Team Chemistry Happens When The Leader Models Personal Growth – James is a constant reader of management books learning a multitude of skills including proper body language.
- Developing Team Chemistry Happens By Helping Others Get What They Want Most – Former teammate Carlos Boozer said, “He’ll get a tape of each of his [teammates]. He’ll go home and watch each one for half an hour. He’s very smart about all this, so it won’t take him long. He’ll figure out some things he can do to get them going on the court.” The number one thing all NBA players want is “a clean look”.
What other things do you do to develop team chemistry?
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