{"id":45029,"date":"2021-08-22T14:06:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-22T18:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=45029"},"modified":"2026-01-21T16:19:39","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T20:19:39","slug":"qualities-of-a-team-player","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/qualities-of-a-team-player\/","title":{"rendered":"Patrick Lencioni: The 3 Key Qualities of a Team Player"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How important is a teamwork culture<\/a> in your organization? What do qualities do you look for when hiring for your teams? What do you think makes a good team player? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many leaders and organizations say they want teamwork, but they can\u2019t define what they mean by a team player or prioritize identifying team players in their hiring process. Patrick Lencioni wrote The Ideal Team Player<\/em> to answer this very question: what makes a good team player? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, you’ll learn about the three qualities of a team player, according to author Patrick Lencioni. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Editor\u2019s note: This article is part of Shortform\u2019s guide to team-building<\/a>. If you like what you read here, there\u2019s plenty more to check out in the guide!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ideal Team Player: Humble, Hungry, Smart<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Patrick Lencioni, the author of The Ideal Team Player<\/em>, people who are natural team players share possess three fundamental qualities: humility, hunger, and people skills. People who are humble focus on the success of the team rather than their personal interests. People who are hungry are driven to seek more work and responsibility. Finally, ideal team players are also smart when it comes to dealing with people\u2014they understand where others are coming from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Humble<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Great team players focus on the success of the team rather than personal interests. They <\/strong>lack overbearing egos or an obsession with status. They don\u2019t try to get attention<\/a> and readily give credit to others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humility is the most important team player attribute, yet many managers put up with self-centered people because of their skills, and don\u2019t call out their arrogance even though it undermines the team\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two kinds of non-humble people, who seem different but who have a common underlying issue: insecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Arrogant, ego-driven people who try to make themselves the center of attention<\/strong>. They are less confident than they appear, so they try to overcompensate with bluster. They undermine teamwork by stirring resentment, creating division, and playing politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) People who lack self-confidence and downplay their contributions and abilities<\/strong>. Others may see them as humble because they\u2019re self-effacing, but people who are truly humble neither overrate nor underrate themselves. People with low self-worth<\/a> deprive teams of their ideas and insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Hungry<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who are hungry are driven to seek more work and responsibility. They\u2019re always looking ahead to the next step or opportunity. They\u2019re committed to the work and willing to go above and beyond\u2014for instance, working outside regular hours\u2014when necessary. Managers don\u2019t have to push or monitor them because they\u2019re self-motivated and conscientious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonetheless, some types of hunger can be negative. Some highly motivated people are driven by self-interest rather than a desire to support the team\u2019s mission. Their interests may conflict with the team\u2019s. Or, work can become all-consuming and become a person\u2019s identity and life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lack of hunger or drive on someone\u2019s part is usually obvious because they produce less, which creates frustrations among other team members who have to pick up the slack. So leaders have to spend time pushing and monitoring them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) Smart<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Being smart in a team context doesn\u2019t refer to intelligence but to having common sense<\/a> when it comes to dealing with people. Those with people skills understand where others are coming from. They ask questions and listen attentively. They are aware of group dynamics and of the impact of their words and actions on others, and they act appropriately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some smart people can be dangerous when they use interpersonal skills to manipulate or mislead others for their own purposes. So it\u2019s important for hiring managers to look beyond what candidates say and take note of how they behave around others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Implementing the Ideal Team Player Model<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are four ways to use the ideal team player model to strengthen your organization: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Hiring<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Assessing current employees <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Developing employees<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Embedding the model in your culture <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The first way<\/a> to strengthen teamwork is to make sure everyone you hire is an ideal team player<\/strong>. There\u2019s no perfect tool for identifying them, but through focused interviewing and reference checking you can usually identify and hire team players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Hiring the Ideal Team Player (The Interview Process<\/strong>)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Focus your interview process on asking behavioral questions that uncover the three virtues as well as reveal red flags. There are many guides available for framing behavioral questions. Beyond that, here are a few ways to structure the interview process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Be Specific<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Ask specific questions that uncover whether the candidate has the qualities and behaviors of a team player<\/strong> (examples to come). Typical interviews follow a generic format and questions that provide only a general sense of the candidate\u2014for instance, you come away thinking, \u201cShe seems capable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Compare Notes<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Debrief managers immediately after an interview on whether the candidate seemed humble, hungry, and smart<\/strong>. Then use the next interview to ask follow-up questions on concerns or issues raised in the first. For example, if the first two interviewers agree that the candidate is hungry and smart, the third interviewer should focus on assessing humility. In many companies, various managers interview the candidate separately, and they don\u2019t discuss what they learned until the interview process has ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Incorporate Group Interviews<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Including group interviews in your process allows multiple people on the hiring team to hear the same things and compare their perspectives<\/strong>\u2014for example, \u201cHow did you interpret what he said \u2026\u201d Group interviews also reveal how a candidate behaves in a group, which is a requirement for teamwork. Some people are better one-on-one than they are in groups, which isn\u2019t necessarily a problem, but it\u2019s something you should be aware of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Be Nontraditional<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    To get a better sense of a candidate, have someone take her out of the office to see how she acts in an unstructured environment<\/strong>\u2014for instance, take her along on an errand. Remember to look for indications that she is humble, hungry, and smart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In contrast, most interviews follow the same predictable, often awkward format as they did 40 years ago. They focus on answers to stock questions that don\u2019t tell you whether the person is a good fit for the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Repeat Questions<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    The first time you ask a question, you often get a generic answer. If you ask again in a different way, you may get more details or a different answer. If you ask a third time, but you\u2019re more pointed, you may get the most honest response.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ask What Others Would Say<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Ask candidates what others would say about them\u2014for instance, instead of asking someone if he considers himself a hard worker, ask how colleagues would describe his work ethic or his level of humility<\/strong>. Candidates tend to give more honest answers to questions framed this way, perhaps because they think you might ask their colleagues the same question and compare answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Pay Attention to Hunches<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    If you have a hunch that a candidate isn\u2019t humble, hungry, or smart, keep digging until you resolve your doubt<\/strong>. Looking back on an interview, managers often recall red flags and regret ignoring them or not exploring them more fully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Be Clear About Your Commitment<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    At the end of the interview process, tell candidates that you\u2019re looking only for people who are humble, hungry, smart<\/strong>. Stress that if a candidate lacking one of these critical qualities is hired, they\u2019ll be miserable working for you if they don\u2019t change. However, if they\u2019re an ideal team player, they\u2019ll love the job and the company\u2019s culture. People often try to gloss over their weaknesses in an interview, but they may be less likely to do so if you stress that your company holds people accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Interview Questions<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Here are some sample interview questions for assessing each team player virtue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Humble <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n