A Strong Team Can Carry Your Vision to the End Zone Former NFL linebacker offers tips on what to look for in potential employees.
By Matt Mayberry Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
There's a strong correlation between top-performing athletic teams and the corporate world, in that both understand the extreme importance of teamwork.
Just as a football coach needs to assign specific players to a position, entrepreneurs need to follow suit when looking to grow their business to take things to the next level. Every employee must have a role, and everyone must play their part. The key is to assemble a team that believes in your vision.
I often see entrepreneurs try to do it all on their own. This is a huge mistake. When something means so much to us, we can be hesitant to let others handle important duties or contribute to our masterpiece. However, you can stunt your growth, innovation and sales rate if you don't start enrolling others in your vision.
Related: 5 Attributes to Look for in High-Performing Employees
Here are three tips on assembling a world-class team:
1. Fully believe in your vision. It's incredible how many entrepreneurs and business owners hire people who aren't completely sold on their vision. This is extremely toxic and will do more harm than good. Whether you are looking to hire full time, or you're just looking to delegate a project, make sure the candidate fully believes in your vision and where you want to go. Just as a football team needs every single player to believe they'll win the Super Bowl, you need the same type of commitment and unity.
2. Fill in the weaknesses. You are the captain of the ship and the main visionary. A big pitfall many entrepreneurs come across is spending an enormous amount of time on activities that aren't their strong suit. Finding someone who is a master at something you may lack skill in is essential. This not only saves precious time, but ensures a fabulous job gets done. A quarterback isn't going to handle a kicker's duties and vice versa. The same goes for you and your business. Stay in your sweet spot and assemble others to fill the other positions
Related: How to Avoid Hiring Duds
3. Look for the hustle DNA. One of the worst decisions I ever made when it came time to assembling a team around me was paying too much attention to resumes and overlooking what mattered most, the "hustle DNA," as I like to call it. You want to be able to form a team of people who are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. The hustle DNA is now one of the first things I look for, because it can't be taught. My philosophy is if you are a relentless worker who never settles for mediocrity and wants to make a tremendous difference in the marketplace, I can teach you the technical aspects of my business.
Once you've assembled your dream team, nothing should stand in the way of advancing your vision.
Related: What the NFL Taught Me About Being a Motivated Entrepreneur
