“The ambition of being a star can NEVER be greater than your aspiration of playing on a great team.”– Tom Crean, head coach basketball at Indiana University.

Nothing takes the joy from an endeavor like being on a team that is underperforming.

What happens when a team doesn’t perform well?

There’s “finger pointing”. Teammates start the blame game and energy moves away from improving.

There ‘s resignation. Effort wanes because individuals begin to think their efforts won’t change things.

There’s selfishness. Teammates focus on personal goals and comforts as compared to team results. Since we aren’t winning anyway, why make a sacrifice for the team.

The real “star” understands that most satisfaction comes from being on a team that improves.

She understands the joy of making the effort to achieve good results yields meaningful relationships.

He understands there is great education and life lessons in working together to achieve team success. Being a good team player always makes us better for the challenges ahead.

So, don’t point fingers and blame. Ask questions instead. Why are we not getting the results we want? What can we do different?

Don’t be resigned. We can always make things better. We have to focus our attention and effort. It starts with a personal resolve.

Put aside selfishness. Model the teamwork we know is necessary to win.

A popular quote these days comes from Maya Angelou. She said: “People may remember what you say. They may remember what you do. They will always remember how you made them feel.”

The stats of being a star won’t mean much if you aren’t on a winning team.