Today was a great day for the Houstonians. The Houston Astros baseball team won over the Texas Rangers with 5-4. In the league championship, Houston leads 3-2.

I personally discovered the magic of baseball, back in 2021 after relocating to Texas. It’s fascinating how it quickly became my son’s favorite sport, finding its place in our daily dinner conversations. For me baseball is about the essence of teamwork. The rules, the focus, the positions and the whole etiquette around it forms the team identity.

Tomorrow, for instance, I’m responsible for snacks for my son’s baseball team. I can hardly contain my excitement about standing behind the dugout, witnessing 11 kids manifest the spirit of unity and passion. And oh! My favorite dugout chant? “Hit the ball, hit the ball, all the way to Arkansas!” – the sheer unpredictability of it makes it so funny.

However, it’s not just about sports. From our ancestors collaborating in hunts to modern-day office dynamics, teams working toward a shared goal have always been a key element of human society.

Today, while our admiration mostly favors sports teams and their breathtaking performances, we often overlook the importance of teamwork in our daily professional lives.

Last week I had to deliver a virtual TedX talk from my Houston office and all the way to the Romanian city of Constanta. I was alone on the stage. The camera mainly captured my image and my décor but my performance on stage depended on so many people. The voice, the body language, the content of the speech, the hair, the outfit and even the lighting in my room was the result of the focused effort of a small group of people: the Ted coach, the technical support team, my assistant, my hairdresser and, even my children who joined rehearsals.

Great things are achieved when we manage to channel talent towards a common purpose.

Now, here’s a thought – What if we brought the passion of these sports teams into our professional settings? What if our workplaces became happy baseball dugouts where we cheer for each other rather than elbowing each other.

Years ago, while traveling to London for business, I came across the framework of Systemic Team Coaching. What struck me was its emphasis on the real work of the team happening outside the coaching meeting room. It wasn’t your generic ‘fun team building exercise.’ Instead it was collaborating towards a mutual objective for the betterment of clients and stakeholders. I became a believer and decided to a do the master diploma course. Now, 7 years later I’m thrilled to introduce Systemic Team Coaching to my fellow Houstonian.

🌟 Come 22-24 January 2024, I will be collaborating with Profesor Peter Hawkins to bring the Systemic Team Coaching Certificate course right here The Woodlands! This face-to-face session is a unique opportunity for those based in North America.

In baseball, football or any other team sports the key principle is that the team is more important than the individual, no matter his or her skill. Do you hold the same belief at work? Or even in your family?

Steliana Economu is the author of Mothers as Leaders and a leadership coach specialised in emotional and positive intelligence. If you liked this article and want to enjoy more of this type of resources do follow us on mothersasleaders.com