Putting The Team in Teamwork
Insights into a high-performing team...
I’ve been thinking about Leadership lately, but not in the way it usually shows up. Not in strategy decks or org charts or even in outcomes, but in more small, everyday moments that most people would probably scroll right past.
Because when I look at what makes things work, what sustains it over time, what turns something from functional into something meaningful, it almost always comes back to the same thing, the team, my team…no…our team.
Not the size of it or the titles attached to it, and not how it looks from the outside. Just the people.
Our team is small. There are four of us: me, Jodi, Hannah, and Ahmad. That’s it, and yet it never feels small. I have worked in fundraising offices of hospitals half our size and had ten times the amount of team members, but I believe that small and mighty can be beneficial. For example, this fiscal year alone, the four of us have raised over $30 Million and we are only halfway through!
We have a group text called “The Fantastic 4.” It started as something practical, a quick way to stay connected throughout the day and keep things moving, but if you were to scroll through it now, you’d have a hard time believing this is a “work” group text.
Ahmad will text when his daughter wins a volleyball game, and you can feel how proud he is through the screen. Hannah will send photos from her last homecoming, moments that have nothing to do with work but somehow still feel like they belong with us. Jodi will text from the pet shop, fighting the urge to come home with a new puppy, a cat, or even another turtle (yes, she already has one that seems to be in hibernation 11 months out of the year). And somewhere in between, I’ll send an update about Piglet’s birthday like it’s a major milestone, because in our world, it kind of is.
If you didn’t know better, you’d think it was a group of people who had just been friends for years, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
I’ve started to realize that might be the whole point.
The best teams are rarely built only on job descriptions; they are built on connection. People work harder with Leaders who know and believe in them. They take greater ownership when they feel seen, heard, and are part of the decision-making process. They stay engaged when they know they matter beyond what they produce.
I personally believe a lot of leaders spend time trying to motivate people when what they really need is to create an environment where motivation can live on its own. Respect, trust and consistency can do that. So can laughter, encouragement, and the feeling that you are part of something safe and loyal.
The strength of a team isn’t built on meetings or performance reviews. It’s built on mutual trust, in knowing how someone shows up when things are easy, and more importantly, when they’re challenging. It comes from a quiet understanding that you don’t have to be perfect to belong.
As a leader, I used to think my job was to have the answers, to guide every step and make sure nothing went wrong. I spent years training myself to think like that, but in time, I have come to realize that’s not what builds a strong team.
What builds a strong team is clarity and accountability so that people need to know where they are headed and why. Nothing erodes culture faster than unpredictability coupled with the inability to adapt to changes. Strong well-performing teams have a strategic plan. However, they also understand that things can change along the way so they need to be agile. Sometimes people borrow confidence from a leader before they learn to carry it themselves.
It also means letting people try and giving them the space to figure things out. What is equally important is creating a safe environment where team members are not afraid to try new things and fail. Having “skin in the game” fosters innovation and dedication because if they never fail, they never learn. And if they never learn, they never grow into the people you need them to become, or maybe more importantly, the people they’re capable of becoming.
To practice what I preach, I give my team space. Not because I’m stepping back, but because I believe in them enough to step aside when they need room to maneuver. When they do something great, I make sure they know it. Not in a performative or ceremonial way. Not because it’s expected, but because it matters.
People don’t forget how you made them feel when they got it right, and they certainly don’t forget how you made them feel when they didn’t.
That may be one of the real lessons of leadership. Your team will remember your tone long after they forget the assignment. They will remember whether success felt shared and whether mistakes felt survivable. They will remember if your presence created pressure or possibility.
There you have it. I look up to them and somewhere along the way, without really trying to force it, we became something more than a team. We became a place where people can show up as they are. Where wins are shared (big or small), where mistakes or failure leads to lessons learned, and where personal life isn’t something you check at the office door.
It changes how they work, how they lead, and how they see themselves.
Then the results, the successes, the things that everyone on the outside points to becomes contagious and imbedded in team culture.
I spoke so much about the team today that it only makes sense to shine a bit more light on them, because after all, behind every successful team are people who bring very different strengths to the table, and I’m lucky to work alongside three exceptional ones.
Jodi Ridley is the steady hand behind so much of what we do, and steady heartbeat behind our “family”. A strategic leader with deep experience in operations, donor engagement, and creating events that bring our mission to life. Ahmad Black, a Lakeland native and former NFL player (go Bucs!), brings the same discipline, heart, and team-first mindset that defined his athletic career into every relationship and project he touches. Hannah Hyman is the rising star of our group, bringing creativity, energy, and incredible attention to detail that helps turn ideas into meaningful experiences. She is a dedicated sister of Alpha Delta Pi, which I teasingly call Apple Pie, and she is soon to graduate with her bachelor’s degree! Together, they each make our small team stronger, and I’m better because of them.
I wanted to try something fun to close out this week’s article. I went out on a limb, not knowing what they would say, and asked each of them to write a few sentences to describe my leadership and our team (ensuring it would not be reflected in their next performance review). This is what they sent back…
Jodi:
“For the past 10 years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Tim, a leader who truly believes no one succeeds alone. He is the kind of person who ensures his entire team is growing right alongside him, never leaving anyone behind. He’s pushed me beyond my comfort zone, encouraged me to take risks, and helped me grow in ways I never thought I could, yet always knowing me well enough to understand my fears and respecting that. No matter the situation, I know I can go to him with any question or mistake, and he will meet it with support and guidance not judgment. Over time, what we’ve built together has become more than a team, it’s become a family.”
Hannah:
Although I just started working with him in May of last year, his leadership has already made a lasting impression on me. From the very beginning, he created an environment where I felt supported and encouraged to grow. He has a natural ability to communicate with reassurance and confidence, and the way he speaks not only informs but truly inspires those around him. I am especially grateful for the guidance he has given me. He is always patient, approachable, and genuinely invested in helping me succeed. His leadership has made a meaningful difference in my experience, and I feel fortunate to be learning under such a great team but also Tim who leads with both strength and compassion.
Ahmad:
“Tim is a phenomenal leader who expects you to exemplify the standard and values that he preaches. He leads by example and demands excellence in the most genuine and organic way! Our tiny but mighty team, through strong collaboration, has a shared commitment to excellence and exceptional results. Our team feels more like family and I wake up each morning finding myself eager to get to the office.”
Top Left: Ahmad, Top Right: Hannah, Bottom Left: Jodi, Bottom Right: Me, Middle: “The Fantastic 4”