John C. Maxwell. The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player. Second part. By Rene Nava. This book and all of this author's books are very instructive, and he masterfully explains his ideas in simple language. He also has the unique ability to embody these concepts in historical and contemporary leaders, whom we explored in the previous issue, and whom I will continue to describe in the following paragraphs. Everyone can choose to become a better team player, knowing that all it takes is adopting the qualities of a team player. I suggest, do it and help your teammates do the same, and the whole team will improve. A little more substance. Teamwork and personal rigidity simply don't mix. If you want to work well with others and be a good team player, you have to be willing to adapt to the team. Rosabeth Moss Cantor, a professor at Harvard Business School, says, people who will succeed and thrive will also be masters of change. Ready to redirect their activities and those of others in directions not previously attempted, in order to reach the highest levels of achievement. The members of a team that teamwork and personal rigidity simply don't mix. Adaptable people have certain characteristics. RRR. One, willing to learn. Diana Nyad said. I'm willing to face anything. Temporary pain or discomfort doesn't scare me when I understand that the experience will take me to a new level. I'm interested in the unknown, and the only way to know the unknown is to venture into it by breaking down barriers. Adaptable people always prioritize forging new paths. They're always willing to learn. Look at Quincy Jones and you'll see someone who is always learning. He believes that if a person works hard and becomes an expert in a certain area, they can transfer that skill. 2. Emotionally secure. Another characteristic of adaptable people is their confidence. People who lack emotional security see almost everything as a challenge or a threat. They are skeptical or wary of another talented person joining the team, fearing it will affect their position or title, or that things will stop getting done. A person's age can be determined by the degree of pain they experience when they come into contact with a new idea. Quincy Jones. In contrast, confident people are not unsettled by change. They evaluate a new situation or a change in their responsibilities based on the merits of that situation or change. 3. Creative. Creativity is another characteristic of adaptable people. When problems arise, they find a way to overcome them. Quincy Jones puts it this way. There's an expression that says a person's age can be determined by the degree of pain they experience when confronted with a new idea. Someone might say, Let's try it this other way. These people will throw their hands up in despair. It physically hurts them to think about doing something different. The one who doesn't react, the creative person, says, Let's try it. Let's do it even if we fail. Creativity gives wings to adaptability. 4. Service-oriented. People who focus on themselves are less likely to make changes that benefit the team than those focused on serving others. Horace Mann, educator and university president, said, Doing nothing for others is the ruin of our ego. If your goal is to serve your team, it won't be difficult to adapt to achieve that goal. Something to think about. How adaptable are you? If improving team performance requires changing the way things are done, how do you react? Do you cooperate with the change, or do you prefer to continue doing things the way they've always been done? If someone more talented in your area joins the team, would you be willing to take on a different role? Or if a key player in another area has a problem, are you willing to switch positions to help them? The first key to being part of a team is being willing to adapt to it. Don't expect the team to adapt to you. Something to do. To be more adaptable. Make learning a habit. For many years I carried a card measuring 5x12 centimeters in my wallet. Every day when I learned something new, I wrote it down on that card. At the end of the day, I tried to share the idea with a friend or colleague, and then filed it away to use when the opportunity arose. This created a habit for me of seeking out things to learn. Try it for a week and see what happens. Re-evaluate your role. Take some time to examine your role on the team. Then try to discover if there is another role you can assume with equal or greater productivity than the one you currently perform. The process may lead to a transition, but even if it doesn't, the mental exercise will increase your flexibility. Break the mold. Let's face it, many people struggle to adapt because they love negative routines. If this is your tendency, write this phrase down and put it somewhere you'll see it every day. It's not why it can't be done, but how it can be done. Whenever you face a challenge, look for unconventional solutions. You'll be surprised at how creative you can be if you try this often. Something for the journey. One of history's greatest military leaders was Napoleon Bonaparte. A general at the age of 26, he used cunning strategies, resourcefulness, and lightning speed to achieve numerous victories. The Duke of Wellington, a great enemy of the general, said. Napoleon recognized in his defeated opponent a weakness he himself did not possess a lack of adaptability. If you are willing to change and adapt for the good of your team, you will always have a chance to succeed.