The Weekly Reflektion Week 43 / 2020

The importance of working together in a team can be summed up in the equation 1 +1 = 3. This was one of the mottos at my son’s kindergarten. It applied to everyone, including the management and of course the children.

Do you promote teams and teamwork (perhaps One Team) toachieve success, and if you do, what is it you are trying to promote?

In 1967, Glasgow Celtic were the first British team to win the European Cup (now Champions League). Teams that achieve international success at the club level today have top-class players from all over the world. The Celtic team were all born within a 50 km radius of the Celtic stadium. The players had their own talents, history and characteristics and the manager, Jock Stein moulded them into a team that achieved success.

Ronnie Simpson, the goalkeeper, ‘faither’, as he was called due to his age and his calming influence on the younger players. Jim Craig was studying to be a dentist when he was persuaded to turn professional. Tommy Gemmel, who scored the first goal by using his initiative at a critical point. Bobby Murdoch was superstitious and always the last man out, and consequently not in the photograph when the team walked onto the pitch. Billy McNeil was the captain, and he had the nickname Caesar. The players looked up to him and McNeil was their leader. John Clark grew up in a large family, his father died in a railway accident when Clark was a young boy and he was determined to succeed. Jimmy Johnstone was the right winger and a great dribbler. He practiced dribbling the ball around milk bottles in heavy work boots. Willie Wallace, was the new boy, recently signed from Hibernian and trying to establish himself in the team. Steve Chalmers was diagnosed with tuberculosis meningitis at 15 and was given 3 months to live. He was treated by a doctor who was a dedicated Rangers supporter who once said he regretted his efforts every time Celtic beat Rangers. Bertie Auld was a talented, but headstrong and undisciplined player but he was coached and became one of the best. Bobbie Lennox was a talented winger. The Celtic fans nicknamed him ‘Lemon’ as they thought he made defenders look like ‘suckers’.

Jock Stein was the manager and is a legend in Scottish football. He had some wonderful sayings that emphasize the importance of everyone working for the team and the team working for everyone.

I do everything I can for the players off the field and I expect that they do everything they can for me on the field. 

Everyone has a bad day from time to time. What are you doing to help the ones that are having a bad day?

Cups are not won by individuals, but by men in a team who put their club before personal prestige.

Celtic shirts are not for second best. They don’t shrink to fit inferior players. 

Just like your team, the Celtic team were all individuals with their own histories, their own characteristics and their own talents. Together they won the European Cup. 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1= ∞

Is the potential of a team really infinite? Why don’t you get together with your team and try to find out?