Qualities of a Team Player - SELF-IMPROVING

We are continuing our growth by developing teamwork skills utilizing the lessons contained in John C. Maxwell’s book titled The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player. This book carries the subtitle “Becoming the kind of person every team wants”. Developing a better team always begins with the individuals. To improve the team, improve the individuals on the team.

Quality #14: Self-Improving - to improve the team, improve yourself.

"Perfection is what you are striving for, but perfection is an impossibility. However, striving for perfection is not an impossibility. Do the best you can under the conditions that exist. That is what counts" - John Wooden

"Learn as if you were to live forever, live as if you were to die tomorrow." - Anonymous

People who are constantly improving themselves make three processes an ongoing cycle in their lives:

1. Preparation
   1. Napoleon Hill remarked, "It's not what you are going to do, but it's what you are doing now that counts."
   2. When individuals are intentional about learning something, they become better prepared to handle whatever challenges they meet.
   3. Adopt the attitude of a learner, not an expert.
2. Contemplation
   1. Time alone is essential to self-improvement.
   2. It allows you to gain perspective on your failures and successes so that you can learn from them.
   3. It gives you the time and space to sharpen your personal or organizational vision.
   4. And it enables you to plan how you can improve in the future.
   5. If you want to keep getting better, carve out some time to get away and slow down.
3. Application
   1. Musician Bruce Springsteen offered this insight: "A time comes when you need to stop waiting for the man you want to become and start being the man you want to be."
   2. Most people change only when one of three things happen: they hurt enough that they have to, they learn enough that they want to, or they receive enough that they are able to.
   3. Your goal is to keep learning so that you want to change for the better every day.

To become self-improving:

• Become highly teachable
• Plan your progress
• Value self-improvement above self-promotion

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc