Optimal Teamwork Relies On Every ‘I’ In Team

How many times have you applauded optimal teamwork that performs beyond expectations? You say something like, “They’re a well-oiled machine,” or “They’re perfect cogs running like clockwork.”

Every workgroup aspires to reach this level of efficiency. Managers have visions of their employees acting as a team. A winning team.

And you know what they say, don’t you? They say, “There’s no ‘I’ in team.”

And they would be correct. But not in the way they think.

In fact, each individual represents an “I.” Yes, there’s no single “I” in a team. A team consists of a whole bunch of “I”s.

Now, the reason we say, “there’s no ‘I’ in team,” is that individual egos can destroy the team. Ego strips the team of its camaraderie. It thwarts coordination. It prioritizes the self over the group. We see ego as selfishness. That’s something we must avoid.

Self-Interest vs. Selfishness

But ego can also mean self-interest, and that’s not the same as being selfish. When channeled correctly, self-interest fuels optimal teamwork.

Self-interest often presents us with the key to victory. Top performers—even ideal team players—must possess a high propensity for self-interest. You see this trait in NFL MVP Josh Allen. His long-held desire to prove his critics wrong has led to a relentless, continuous improvement regime that gives the Buffalo Bills an edge no other NFL team currently possesses.

Think about it. If he wants to be an elite athlete, he cannot rely solely on God-given talent. He needs to hone what the Good Lord has given him. He must dedicate himself to strength and conditioning. He must spend hours studying the playbook (or user manual).

His example encourages his teammates to do the same. He is telling (and showing) them, “It’s in the team’s best interest for you to act in your own self-interest.”

Imagine if the entire team acted in self-interest in this way. They would all be physically and mentally ready to play. Physically, this means they can each hit on all cylinders when it comes to doing their job. Mentally, this means they act in perfect coordination with all the other players on the team.

Of course, it’s not that simple. Optimal teamwork requires everyone to focus fully on his specific role. Each man is the tree; the team is the forest. It’s tough for a man to see the whole forest if he’s concentrating on the trees.

Leadership’s Role in Optimal Teamwork

Enter the coach (or the manager, or the supervisor, or whoever is driving optimal teamwork).

The best coach optimizes the team by first understanding the talents of all members. That knowledge allows him to put each player in the position best suited to his talents.

But that’s not all. Next, the coach has to know how to herd cats. That’s right. This collection of high-performing egos driven by their own self-interest. Left to their own devices, they’re running all over the field. In the hands of an able coach—dare we say it—they’ll run like a well-oiled machine. Recall how coach Marv Levy redirected the 1989 “Bickering Bills” and transformed the Buffalo Bills to become the only NFL team ever to reach the Super Bowl four straight years.

Teams in the workplace succeed in much the same way. Individual employees come prepared for the job. They’ve perfected their talent stack. They’re physically able to perform. They’re mentally ready to reach the next level.

Similarly, the team leader knows the skill set possessed by each of his subordinates. Managers must work to align those skill sets with the team’s goals. They put the right employees with the right skills in the right positions. Then they permit them to perform.

When this is done, the leader doesn’t erase individuality; he channels it. Great leaders place workers where their self-interests complement each other. Aligning strengths focuses synergistic energy with organizational purpose. This creates the environment for optimal teamwork.

It is healthy to allow egos to flourish, but it’s important to remember we’re not talking about any kind of ego. You must distinguish between selfishness and self-interest. The former is harmful, while the latter is productive (assuming the manager provides proper direction).

Why? It is self-interest that pushes an employee to grow professionally. It ignites innovation and builds resilience. If every individual on your work team pursues excellence, your company accrues the compound gains that will leave the competition behind.

The Orchestra of Success

Every “I” is like a gear in a larger machine. Managers who respect and guide carefully ensure those gears remain well-oiled. Corporate success emerges not from conformity, but from coordination.

Think of an orchestra. The instruments do not conform. They do not sound alike. They do not play the same notes at the same time. Rather, each has a unique sound. Together, they create a harmonious symphony that delights the audience—but only if each plays the right notes in the right way.

So, yes, there is no “I” in team (or in orchestra, for that matter). There are many “I”s in every successful team.

Optimal teamwork doesn’t mean we must erase the “I”s. It means we cultivate them. We direct them. We give them the opportunity to realize everything they’ve always wanted.

That’s how teams win. That’s how businesses thrive.

When every “I” performs at his best, a team achieves what no single “I” could.