Out of all the lessons learned, I would put this one in my top 3.

Being a team player is not about lip service. It’s about truly believing that the power of a team will be better than the single contributor.

I have never, in my entire career, met someone who was so good that they did better than the team would do. So here’s some observations about what it takes to be a true team player, all learned when I played JV basketball in high school, which I loved. But was terrible at.

1. You communicate quickly to help those in trouble.

This means you don’t just watch people go over a cliff if you think they’re headed the wrong way. It means you figure out a way to help them, to pull them aside, to guide them. On the court, that means you yell at your teammates “Heads up!” so they know what’s going on. You are fast and loud, but for their best interest. Teammates don’t take it personally.

2. You go after a loose ball, even if it’s not your job.

One of the rules of basketball: you go after the ball. If it breaks loose, is headed out of bounds, you go after it if you’re the closest to it. You don’t argue whether or not it’s your job. When you’re on a team, if you see a ball that needs to be picked up, do it. You can argue position later.

3. You work with each other to get better, but you don’t ignore your skills either.

For basketball, that’s practice every day for hours. Individual training and team play practice. And scrimmages against each other. And of course, the games.

At work, it comes in the form of staff meetings, individual development plans, individual and team goals, and execution. Every day you’re going out on the court. How did you play today? How did your team do? You can’t win as an individual if your team loses. And your team can win, but not be helped by you.

4. You have coaches, you have captains, you have stars.

Their job is to win, and do what’s best for the team. You don’t get to pick if you want to be the coach, captain or star. The coach is the one held accountable for how the team does.  The captain is elected by the team. And you’re a star if you are clearly the go-to person.  You’re not always going to like how this plays out, but it is what it is.  A lot of people want to be stars…but are you the go-to person? And don’t resent the stars: support them, and be glad for the lift they give the team. If you want to be a captain….did the team elect you? If you’re a coach, do you hold yourself accountable for the team’s performance, or do you look for excuses?

5. The team is bigger than just the players on the court.

Teams are big for a reason. When someone gets hurt or tired, the second string gets tapped and has to perform. Everyone matters. Don’t make the mistake of defining your team too narrowly (“My team is just who reports to me”). The more you exhibit teamwork across the biggest, most inclusive definition of team, the more successful you’ll be.

When you win, you savor the moment for a few hours. But you’re already onto the next game, the next challenge. Nothing promises that you’ll do it again next time. Just like work.