Shortly after assuming the HARDI presidency in December, I sent copies of the book “The Ideal Team Player” by Patrick Lencioni to all of HARDI’s staff members at the organization’s headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. I had asked everyone on the team to read the book before I visited the HARDI office in early February for the new board member orientation and meeting.
There are two main messages in the book that go hand-in-hand. The first is developing and maintaining a company mission, and the second is cultivating a winning team, either through recruitment or development. Based on Lencioni’s model for hiring the “ideal team player,” each individual must fulfill three crucial criteria: They must be humble, hungry, and smart.