I was reading a book on management by Jack Welch. Its an old business classic by the name of “Winning”. I found that I particularly liked how this biz guru shared his wisdom on what type of characteristics he looked for in the winning GE teams of people.
Jack summarized it as the following: Just 4Es and 1 P.
I shaped it into the qualities that I look out for in team-mates.
- Positive Energy:
- The ability to go go go – seizing the action even when it is not in their favour. The ball might not always be in our court, but it is in our every ability to take charge of how we feel and be ready for action.
- Extroverted and friendly – There’s something about that friendly person that you just spoke to… One that makes you feel super comfortable and hey… makes you willing to share information.
- Work and play loving – While racing isn’t a full time job, there’s bits of it similar to working. You got to do the research – or someone else will (take the prize too!). Play loving – you got to love the challenge! Can you imagine if you hardly like to swim and you are made to dive from a platform? That’s definitely a no-go and no-fun!
- Energizing:
- Getting myself and the gang all revved up, inspiring us to take up the impossible.
- Communicative: So we get instructions right and execute to perfection.
- Sense of humour: We got to keep ourselves entertained when the race is getting tougher and tougher.
- Credit-sharing: Nobody likes a big mouth that blabbers non-stop about his/her goodness. And come on, it’s the team that makes the race possible! Not you!
- Edge:
- That comes in the courage to make tough yes-or-no calls. Race are filled constant decisions. You have to decide whether or not to jump over the railing or not… Then next you got to decide whether to cut across this junction… No wait, would that be better? Decisions have to be made within a snap and it better be good or you will end up trying to make up for it.
- Execute:
- Talk is cheap. How fast can you run in your IPPT or how you have a kayaking certificate is just not as important as… how fast can you run in an actual race situation or how fast can your kayak move in a live-situation.
- Passion:
- Just a whole passion for winning… is good enough for me! I love to win. And that’s why I keep taking part in races or even gameshows. It’s a great feeling to win, no matter what others tell you!
