Module Seven: Teamwork
“He lectured on and on about how the executive had failed to meet her numbers,” he told me. I was talking with one of the brightest leaders I know about a recent event on their leadership team. Their boss had chosen to hammer another team member because she didn’t reach her goal. This leader told me that he didn’t consider his boss's “help” to be very helpful.
It baffles me that so many seasoned leaders believe that constant lecturing is a constructive way to “help” their team members succeed. It seems that they would have learned by now that always bringing the hammer down on failures is almost never effective in changing behavior. When we choose to lecture, blame or demean others, it never helps. It actually undermines future success in the relationship and the team.
You hear a lot about values and principles, until the going gets tough. Then you see behavior that does not line up with the words that were spoken. The brilliant leader above had it right when he told me that as leaders, we need to “authenticate our words with our actions.”
Let’s choose to offer guidance and feedback with respect laced with humility, instead of with arrogance. When we decide to offer help that actually helps, we will make a difference.
Larry Little
Eagle Center for Leadership
Effective teamwork is not measured by tasks completed, but by what is built in the process. It forms the foundation that holds everything together, the structure that enables individuals to rely on one another, and the framework that transforms effort into lasting success. When people work with shared purpose, trust, and accountability, they create more than results. They create momentum.
For teamwork to be successful, it takes more than just working together—it requires a willingness to connect, communicate, and collaborate to create meaningful progress. This is what separates a group of skilled individuals from a team that moves as one. A team that builds trust can push through challenges. A team that communicates effectively can solve problems before they grow. A team that embraces adaptability can turn setbacks into opportunities. These are the qualities that transform good teams into great ones.
“If you take out the team in teamwork, it’s just work. Now who wants that?”
At MSS, teamwork is more than just a principle—it is The MSS Way. It shapes how we approach every project, every challenge, and every opportunity for growth. It means committing to the team’s success as much as our own, knowing that together, we achieve more than we ever could alone.
This module will explore what makes teamwork effective and how to strengthen it. High-Impact Teamwork will examine how teams can amplify their strengths and multiply their success. Teamwork Through Trust will uncover why trust is the foundation of collaboration and how to create an environment where people feel safe to contribute, learn, and grow. Building Better Teams will focus on adaptability, showing how the strongest teams adjust, evolve, and move forward, no matter the challenge. Finally, Sustaining Team Success will cover how teams maintain momentum, reinforcing the habits that keep them engaged and performing at a high level over time.
Success is not built overnight, and it is never built alone. It is constructed piece by piece—through the way we communicate, support one another, and show up for the team. Every conversation, every challenge, and every shared goal is another beam, another foundation, another step toward something stronger.
The question is not whether teamwork matters. The question is: What are you building?