How would you like to play for one of the top college basketball teams in the country, but only score a single point a game? That’s Sarah Graves. She suits up for the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team, the number one seed in their NCAA tournament bracket. If you check the stat sheet, Sarah is not doing much. But her value? It’s huge. Her coach, Vic Schaefer, calls her an “energy booster.” She is a leader not through her play but by lifting her teammates’ spirits, which builds teamwork.
Her secret? When Sarah’s running low on energy, she looks for someone else who’s struggling. She helps them first. And somehow, that act of encouragement bounces back and lifts her up, too.
This isn’t just a feel-good story. Experts back it up. Vanessa Druskat, an associate professor of management and entrepreneurship at the University of New Hampshire, studies teams. She maintains that too many leaders chase the best and the brightest. Instead, people “should hire the best team members they can, and then turn their focus and energy on building a team environment…” That’s how you get a group that’s smarter together than any one person alone. If you’ve ever seen the movie Miracle on Ice, you know what I mean. That’s how a bunch of college hockey players from the USA beat the greatest team in the world, the Soviet Union. The 1980 U.S. hockey team proved that the whole really can be greater than the sum of its parts.
Sportswriter Elise Devlin calls Sarah Graves a “personality hire.” She might not have the same skills as the other players, but her energy and inspiration lift the whole team. Coach Schaefer puts it simply: “She does the little things some people don’t want to do.” And the Longhorns are better because of it.
So, how do you build a team like that? Dr. Druskat says it takes more than just handing out tasks or setting goals. Leaders shape the team’s vibe. Here’s how the best do it:
1. Foster a sense of belonging. Show real care and appreciation, every day, in small ways. Make sure everyone feels seen, accepted, and part of the group.
2. Lead with lived values. Live out the team’s values. Encourage others. Go the extra mile. Do even the small jobs with everything you’ve got. When leaders do this, those values become the team’s way of lRead context, not just personality.
3. Leaders need to look at the culture and situations that shape how people act, because behavior is often influenced by the environment. When team members feel respected, supported, and valued, they’re more open to feedback, willing to grow, and ready to get better.
Sarah lives this out every day. She proves that one person’s attitude can lift a whole team.
Mark
Dr. Mark Edge
The WorkEdge Company
Telephone: 903-245-7851
Email: workedgetexas@gmail.com
Website: www.workedgetexas.com
Author of Holy Chaos. To purchase the book, click here: