Blog on Leadership

Building authentic & powerful teams

The Etymology of 'Team'

The word “team” has a surprisingly old and earthy history:

Old English (c. 900 CE): tēam meant “descendants, family, lineage, race, offspring,” and also “a line, series, or succession.”
Proto-Germanic: From taumaz (“that which is drawn”), related to ideas of pulling or drawing together.
Proto-Indo-European (PIE): Root deuk- or douk- meaning “to lead” or “to pull.”

Originally, the word referred to a line of draft animals (like oxen yoked together for pulling a cart or plow). By extension, it came to mean a group working together toward a common purpose.

A Personal Note 🔏

I want to start off by sharing a secret: People who know me would have a hard time believing this, but in my younger years I used to be quite confused and somewhat emotionally chaotic. I didn’t really know how to get the most out of my academy years at first. After that, I worked on figuring out how corporate life works, how business works, and heck, even how people work at all.

That being said, I do have a peculiarly developed skill of observing people and behaviours, spotting patterns, and understanding structures. And especially when combined, these skills gave me very clear insights into what really matters when working together and building teams authentically.

In my personal time, I spend many hours on self-development and mindfulness. In my roles as a team lead and on management teams, I have seen in real time how different leadership styles affect the team. Being quite the warrior for diversity and equal opportunity, I discovered early on what I absolutely do not want to cultivate in a team. And that is an in-house Game of Thrones battlefield, full of gossip, backstabbing, and unchallenged hierarchies.

Why let so much undiscovered talent and skill go to waste in your team? Get to know who you are working with, and I promise you, you will reap the rewards.

Know Thyself

We all kind of know that everyone is different in their own way. We also know that everyone wants to be part of something bigger. Whether it is a political movement, a fashion trend, or a group of friends or colleagues, we all want to belong. The trick is understanding who you are dealing with. People can be introverted, extraverted, or somewhere in between. That doesn’t mean certain roles can only be filled by specific types. It does mean you need to understand how you work, for real. What do you struggle with? What do you excel at?

The ‘16 personalities test’ by Myers-Briggs is one of those famous tests people often use (what ever your personal opinion might be) to learn more about group dynamics and teamwork. But the important step that many forget is to reflect on the first outcome of the test. Consider the characteristics and pitfalls, and see what resonates deep within. Maybe you actually relate more to a slightly different profile? That is possible.

Filling out these kinds of tests is tricky. From which mindset did you fill it in? Is it the way you are with your friends? At home with your partner? At work? Or did you fill it in thinking this is how you should be? I know, it is hard to be brutally honest about yourself and to see the questions in the right context. So the reflecting part is absolutely the most important follow-up.

Knowing yourself also gives clarity on your thought and decision-making processes and how to tilt them in ways that work better for specific projects or situations. For example, if you are very introverted but aspire to a leadership role, think about how to use that ‘silent’ force as a superpower. You don’t need to be loud and present, but you can be present in your own way. Likewise, if you are very extraverted, you can thrive in a super analytical and focused role. It is all about how you use your skills and pitfalls as rocket fuel for your ambition. What is the main goal? What is the big picture? That is what counts.

The Blueprint

Building and leading a team is all about knowing who your team is. By understanding someone’s blueprint, you can give them the right space to shine. And just like in personal relationships, honesty and a safe space are key. That does not mean there cannot be friction. Providing a safe space also opens the floor for much-needed confrontations. You should be able to challenge each other so you can learn and grow.

My experience leading teams is that when you create this space, you can genuinely respect each other as human beings. Giving feedback means wanting the best for the other person, wanting to see them grow, not burning them down for your own success.

Do not get me wrong, we are not trying to create a soft and cuddly playground where everyone is nice and cringe. It is about allowing someone the opportunity to get the most out of working together. By doing so, you simultaneously filter out the bad seeds or unnecessary risks. You get to work with a team that feels truly confident sharing ideas and feedback.

I deeply refuse to become that robot-type of leader. Even if it costs me extra effort, the reward is so much greater. Not only for me and my team, but also for the company and for hitting those KPIs and achieving successes, big and small.