Because this really is “team time”

The team dynamic, apart from calling for great powers of observation, is implicitly about singing in choral harmony. At this point you aspiring soloists (you are the bad guys) sit down and shut up, and the self-effacing choir, the team (you are the good guys) – the sort who “want to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony” – step forward.
So teams that work best recognize who does what and play to each person’s strength. Teams are not just a mixture of individuals: teams are a cocktail of talent that blends together.

The top team – the theory

Is your team full of trust in each other, committed to a goal, performance-driven and do you all cut each other a bit of slack? Do you give and take like great teams should?

How being a good team player will advance your career

Give the power of the team to which Lencioni refers, everyone wants to have what they call a “high-performing team.” So if they think you can help make a team like this, they are going to be exceedingly pleased.
For a moment worry less about your own individual skill than about the skills you can help bring out others.

The message is – know your role, know your place

If you want to be a good player help others build a good team. This will not be the most talented team of individuals. It will be a mix of types, but like the cast of the film The Dirty Dozen it will be the best you’ll get, so get on with it and between you all make it the highest-performing team you can: the team that works best together with members who can relate to and read each other and understand what they will do next and when they need help; the team that makes the best of what it’s got.
Can you read your colleagues? Can they read you? Do you feel you are meshing together or that they are holding you back? Is it enjoyable working together? Are you doing as well as you should be? Does everyone have the right role? Tough one-is anyone spoiling it now? Does it have a real identity? Is everybody up for making this team fun and self-fueling?
We cannot all be superstars but we can all be good and, by working alongside others of similar quality who share our enthusiasm, we can combine to create something exceptional.