And are we more or less likely to embrace or reject people, ideas, and messages based on group influences? For example, we all know J.K. Rowling wrote the immensely popular Harry Potter series. She also wrote a neglected crime novel, "Cuckoo's Calling", under the alias Robert Galbraith, selling 1500 copies. After she was revealed as the author, sales skyrocketed.
Successful teams similarly build an identity, "this is who we are and this is who we are not." But we have to work both to establish and maintain that identity. We are vulnerable to human frailty, the emergence of selfishness and ego.
Within our teams we need to develop both leadership and followership. And we need to correct behaviors compromising our identity and sometimes purge organizations of individual non believers.
What message do we send with our play? Do we exude effort, toughness, team spirit, and tenacity or indifference, selfishness, or aloofness? Do people fear playing against us or unwillingness to play beside us? Our identity impacts TEAM identity.
We should recognize that our actions on and off the court impact how people perceive us, our team, and our brand. How we treat others defines who we are.
Bonus: work with a rebound partner in this timed drill. Start on one elbow with the ball. Shoot and sprint to the opposite sideline and back to the near elbow. Catch and shoot and repeat the process. Usually you can take about ten shots in a minute. Track progress in accuracy and conditioning.
