For an Astros fan like me, the 2017 World Series was a special one. The Astros demonstrated the impact of great teamwork -- lessons that we can all learn from. More

Abraham Lincoln (and Steven Douglas) would be disappointed in the presidential debates of today. The historic Lincoln and Douglas debates in 1858 have become the model for debate in American society. More

What is your leadership team collectively accountable for? Are the leaders are expected to operate as a team and are their results are expected to be stronger than the sum of the contributions by the individual functions/units? More

In today's world, it seems everyone needs to verify your identity - when you use your credit card, when you go through airport security, and when you open a bank account. When I work with a team, I need to verify their identity also. More

The reason to improve teamwork is to “Deliver business results that can ONLY be achieved collectively by working together as a team.” More

I hope you don't think I am being too intrusive with this question. It is my hope that you do believe -- for your sake and for the sake of others around you. Believing is about having faith and confidence, It is also about seeing the possibilities. Believing doesn't mean there is certainty. More

A business opportunity, often unrealized, is Making Teamwork Profitable -- to produce results that can ONLY be achieved as a team More

The 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence would be great speakers today about Commitment, "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." More

It’s that time of year, when many companies begin having an offsite leadership meeting to discuss their path forward for the next year and beyond. The offsite will likely yield a lot of great ideas. The challenge – making better decisions (and prevent making bad ones). I am lucky. I get to be the “fly on the wall” as the facilitator. More

Playing baseball is one of life's gifts to me. It is my Field of Dreams. Everything is right with the world when I am playing. For the last 5 years, I have played on the Angels and we have some special team chemistry. More

“Next Man Up” was the mantra for the 2011 Houston Texans. The number of star players injured for the Texans was significantly above the league average. Yet the team persevered and won their first playoff game with a philosophy of a teamwork system. More

I know I shouldn’t tell you this but I have to tell someone. I hope you can keep a secret. Because if this gets out, life as we know it might never be the same. I am really not sure I should even tell you. What if you turn away from The Force and turn to the Dark Side? More

Spreading the Gospel is my resolution for this year - the Teamwork Competency gospel. Leadership teams that are effective at working together can make teamwork a strategic advantage. More

We sometimes hear about teams that have "chemistry." Team chemistry is special. Most people have a difficult time defining team chemistry, but they know it when they are a part of it. It's really just a special connection between team members that makes teamwork natural and instinctive. More

The office phone rings. "Goodfriend & Associates, Mike Goodfriend speaking." In my phone's earpiece, I hear a serious tone from my client, "Hey Mike, Mary Jones. Hope you're doing well. Mike, it looks like I have a project for you. We have a problem team member on our leadership team. She's becoming quite a cancer to our team and we will need to deal with her either through coaching or some other means. More

You walk into the conference room for a meeting with your leadership team. The purpose of the meeting is to debate whether to discontinue the products and services in the Varkonne line of business (LOB).... More

The founding fathers of our country envisioned independent, free states that were joined by their common interests. We know that when we, as U.S. citizens are divided about security/war, we can become weaker and more vulnerable. But we also know that when the citizens of the United States unite, we are a force that is difficult for any enemy to deal with. More