How to build an awesome team

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

I’ve helped build teams of all shapes and sizes.

From 3 neighborhood friends planning a retreat to the 30+ strong team launching an emerging technology. At both ends of that spectrum it was difficult to know where to start, what to prioritize and who to talk with.

There are few things more powerful than a great group of talented, motivated people working together to achieve a common goal. If you’ve ever had the privilege of experiencing this, then you understand how amazing it can be.

But, you can’t build a great team if you aren’t clear on what an awesome team looks like.

There’s a big difference between a team, and a group of people. A team is a group of people who are committed to an idea. They work together intelligently. And the thing is, they absolutely must be “working” together intelligently to actually qualify as a team (not just a loosely knit bunch of people).

So, what do you need to get started?

Start with a compelling mission

To begin, you need a clear vision of what you want to accomplish.

People rally around a mission that they care about. What your organization is trying to accomplish — your mission — is why you exist. It should be powerful, meaningful, and unique. It needs to be…