Using his extensive experience in leadership and team building as an NBA general manager and top executive, Pat Williams outlines eight ingredients that he has found to be integral to building a successful team. With the Midsize Enterprise Summit West set to kick off Sunday in Dallas, it's a good time to take a look at the elements Williams says every team needs to succeed and excel.

Outstanding Talent

Talent, talent, talent. That is foundation of great teams, Williams said. However, great talent does not come without qualifications, he said. That talent needs first to be coachable and teachable. Second, the talent needs to understand and accept its role within the team, and third the talent needs to be a great teammate. To make sure you get all of these qualities in a teammate, Williams said to hire carefully and hire slowly because far too many companies have gotten into trouble hiring too quickly. If someone is brought on board who is talented, but missing some other key attributes, he said to make sure to dismiss them quickly.

Outstanding Leadership

There are seven key ingredients to being an outstanding leader, William said: have vision, communicate that vision, people skills, character, competence, boldness and a serving heart. Without a leader with those qualities, the team will always be under both internal and external scrutiny. 
"There has never been an outstanding team in the history of planet Earth that did not have outstanding leadership. It just has never happened. That’s how important leadership is," Williams said. "In fact, everything rises and falls on leaders."

Commitment

Williams said that every excellent team he has ever encountered has been extremely committed. First, the team has to be committed to each other. Williams said he has worked with basketball teams that don't do anything without checking with one another, and even as they have moved into other phases of their lives, the bond continues. Second, the team is also committed to setting the standard of quality and excellence. Third, Williams said great teams are committed to competing, a decision that has to be made by upper management and passed down through the team.

Passion

Williams said he could walk into any corporate headquarters and tell you within eight seconds the "passion level" of the organization. That passion should be felt through every employee in the company, he said, no matter their level or function. It makes an impact on the employees, he said, both in how they work every day and how they remember the organization going forward.
"It just radiates through an organization. It just jumps up and grabs you right by the ears," Williams said. "When passion flows like that, no one forgets it. It leaves that kind of a mark on you."
 

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