(1 + 1 = 3) The whole is greater than the sum of all parts.

That is what Teamwork is all about...SYNERGY.

Early automobile manufacturers learned that one man trying to build a car would take 10 times as long as a group of five men working together and applying their own specialities. That's synergism. 1 + 1 = 3. Five men (5 labor units) working together accomplish more than twice what one man working ten times as long (10 labor units) could. Each man was more than twice as productive when part of an organized team.

This synergism production concept became applied to all of societies' endeavors, which led up to all the technical advantages man has over all other forms of life. Could you imagine life without the products of society? Take a look around your house. How could you make it without your TV, your couch, your refrigerator, your stereo, your car, your house, and even your food? Society is a vast structure of coordinated efforts.

Consider this...

It is a strong argument that the best team in the National Basketball Association could beat the Olympic Dream Team. The Dream Team is a conglomeration of all-star players with individual talents far exceeding any other team on the planet, but they are a group of individuals trying to play as a team. They don't read each other as well as a team who has a great deal of experience working together in a well coordinated effort.

Basketball is a game of the fast break, the give and go, doubling down on the big man in the low post, the pick and roll, and finding the open man. This is a game of teamwork, of coordinated efforts. Obviously these plays can not be performed alone. The better the teamwork, the better the offense. That is synergism.

Rarely does a team with just one superstar win a championship. One guy has a hard time beating five. A winning team has synergism created by the interaction of unselfish players. They are able to reach each other without saying a word. It is a mutual interaction of thoughts and actions. It si cooperation and coordination. It is flow.

That is the true beauty of team sports. The harmony of players bonding together to compliment each other's play and elevate it the next level. That is syergism.

What are the successful factors of a successful team:

Coordination of the Elements

You must begin to think of yourself as an element in a larger system. Each element is a vital link that the system as a whole could not exist without. Synergism is created through the coordination of these elements. All the elements must interact correctly in order for synergism to be created.

No Weak Links

Synergism requires cooperation form all team members. A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. If a team has a giant hole in it, it is going to be tought to make up for it. The player who sets the pick in basketball is just as important as the player who comes off that pick for a three pointer. Synergism is a way of complimenting each other and creating a harmony from a relationship where everyone contributes.

Leadership

A leader can be defined as the ultimate team player. The best leader is the person who is a team player. The leader understands that his success is measured by the team's success. A true leader has the utmost trust from his teammates. So ask yourself there questions:

• Can your teammates really count on you?
• Do you set an example for others?
• Are you a total team player?
• Will others benefit from you?

A leader takes in the big picture. A leader can make a forest from a bunch a trees. A leader enhances the performance of their teammates, and therefore, is five times as effective. That is synergism. Will others benefit from you?