Teamwork is all about pigs and chickens. It sounds a little out there, but let me explain this concept the way former NFL coach Brian Bilick explained it to a room of agriculture marketing professionals in St. Louis.
"You know that story about the bacon and eggs breakfast," he said. "The chicken is involved, but that pig is committed."
Teamwork is a lot like bacon and eggs, or pigs and chickens.
You have some team members who are pigs, and some that are chickens. The pigs are your committed, lead by example, doers. These are the people who others often look to for advice, or count on when life gets chaotic. Pigs can be the voice of reason, the respected leaders in an organization. They're committed to making breakfast (or the project) complete.
Chickens are the other type of team member. They are involved in the process. They provide the egg, they provide essential parts, and contribute to the greater good. Chickens are different because when it comes right down to it all they really provide is a piece. These team members may like to think they're the meat of breakfast, but they're not.
The worst situation is a pig, who thinks they're a chicken.
As a leader it's your responsibility to decipher the dynamics of your team. Identify the chickens and the pigs, and then recognize how a prime directive (or goal) is going to relate to each of the species. It's vital to be interactive with each relationship. Ask questions, listen to problems, and then help solve problems.
There are key ingredients to a dream team that's functional. It's the people, the structure, and the chemistry. These things are often facilitated by great leaders who recognize dynamics and build success. If just one key is off the dream team can become a nightmare pretty quickly.
At the end of the day a great leader realizes that they are not any smarter than their competition, but it's how they use the resources at their disposal. It's all about how you use that dream team that makes or breaks success.
Billick was insightful and inspiring. What set him apart for me, was not that gigantic Super Bowl XXXV (35) ring that was earned in Tampa, Fla., defeating the New York Giants, it was the way he came around to random tables prior to his keynote address and introduced himself like a regular guy. There were no handlers, no larger than life persona, or strutting like a chicken. Instead, he spoke respectfully.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Brian Billick," he said with a firm hand shake. "I'm happy to be here today."
We spoke a few minutes and he moved on to another table. He had changed my opinion with a simple action. What I thought might be a rah-rah "this is my football life and here's how it relates to you," turned into inspiring words that helped change my perspective.
He told us the story about how his then teenage daughter got right to the point.
"When I lost the game that ended our season my first year as a head coach I was down and depressed and angry. I came home to find a note on my pillow from my 15-year old daughter," he said. "It said, 'Dad we moved across the country when you took this job. It's been hard on Mom, who has found it hard to make friends. We've had to move to a different school and start over, and you're not home very much. This has been a big adjustment for us,too. It's not all about you. Get over yourself."
Billick said that hit home, even at 2 a.m. He was looking at things all wrong. He needed to change direction and reevaluate how he was approaching the season. And it came from a simple note with a pretty blunt message.
The next year they won the Super Bowl.
I've met a lot of people in my relatively short career, and I'm certain I'll meet many more. Some are oinkers, others are cluckers. I've been frustrated, unhappy, and ready to throw in the towel at times. Today I realized something important that may help my focus as I start one of the busiest and exciting parts of my life, and career.
It's not all about me.
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