There is no ‘I’ in team.
Man, I love irony. It’s even better when it happens to be inadvertent and in the attempt to make a completely different point. I hope this story is not ironic. Someone please let me know if it is.
I know you have heard it a thousand times. The old maxim that every old football coach would scream at his players to try to get them to play together, run a little faster, or push a little harder is still as true as ever. “There is no ‘I’ in team.”
Growing up, I guess that was what most of my coaches called leadership. Most probably still do.
But, a picture tells a thousand words, or a bumper sticker, that is.
I saw this bumper sticker while sitting in traffic yesterday. It was a simple black and white sticker with an even simpler message. While trying to figure out what it said and fully digest the meaning, it made me think.
Most of you can’t see the picture clearly and are having a tough time reading it. So here is what the sticker says:
“There is no ‘I’ in team. But there are three of them in ‘millionaire.’
With such a deep and insightful statement, you would think I saw it on the back of some captain of industry’s Benz, Bentley or maybe even on the back of a Subaru.
No, as you can guess by now, I saw it on some P.O.S. pickup, loaded with three “Rocket surgeons.”
Yeah, yeah, you can give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Maybe, this guy is a millionaire. But I’m not. I’m not going to give him the benefit of the doubt. I say, “buddy, get with the program. Join the team.”
Here is the picture: This is the truck I saw. I had my wife quickly take the picture. Sorry for the poor quality, but I felt like a private eye. (Sorry for stressing out my wife.)
Pick-up
How ironic. Some guy trying to make a bold statement about independence and, from what I am guessing, the importance of being self-reliant completely makes the case for joining the team.
This is a prime example of a great moment to begin a guided discussion with your kids. All it takes is a little thought and foresight.
Do you see the lesson or is there a lesson at all?
How would you use the few minuets in your car to discuss this with your youth?
What would you say?
What does the sticker mean? Is the joke on me?
Three is enough? One is enough?
You tell me. Did I completely miss the point?
March 19th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
I would say that the message is “FUBAR.” This old acronym (for non-military types) means “[fouled] up beyond all recognition.”
If the person responsible for the bumper sticker has a message, it is rendered FUBAR by its placement among circumstances that do not reinforce his idea. It may even contradict his message — who can say?
Of course, every message comes within a context that is a part of the message. The bumper sticker cannot be read in isolation unless it is clear that the rest of the picture is irrelevant.
We have a garbled transmission, to which we can only respond, “Say again”?
April 5th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Great blog Rick. Yes, their is no “I” in team ( a relatively misguided statement) but their is always a LEADER on every team and in every organization. And it is the leader that transforms average teams or organizations to great organizations. Think Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Donald Trump, and others.
Someone always has to be out front, showing the way, and leading other people to victory and success. It is the leader that provides singularity of purpose and who generates an intense move to action to achieve goals.
The no “I” in team is meant to convey that everyone must work toward common goals. Selfish behavior is destructive to overall objectives. Teamwork and team building is synergistic and the total performance of the team or organization is usually greater than a single individual. Especially a selfish person.
The three “I’s” in millionaire is meaningless. Sort of like stock market advice, “Buy low…sell high.” Most successful people, even millionaires have a long list of people who helped them achieve their goals.The truck driver should consider a plan to improve, refine and perfect his skills. Then he should get to work to achieve his goals, hopefully of becoming a millionaire. He will probably require a lot of help from others.
Yes, I know a pretty serious answer to a fun question.
Dr. John