Golf's Ryder Cup pitting European players against US players shows us what it takes to be successful as a team. In a game where individuals usually compete against each other, the Ryder Cup forces the world's best golfers to be part of a team and they can only be successful if the team is successful. The U.S. team has the two best golfers in the world on the team, does that mean that they are going to win? Only if teamwork prevails. So what are the business lessons we can learn from the Ryder Cup? That successful teams (organizations) support each other through good and bad. That putting the strongest people together does not always guarantee success, those people need to be able to work well together...ability does not always equal success (although it helps). That every successful team needs a great leader to inspire them and provide direction, as well as make smart decisions. That teams can feed off of the success of other teams within the organization...using momentum to increase the level of success for everyone. And finally, that the more cohesive the team, the more success it will have. Who would have thought we could learn this much from watching a simple golf match?

By now, you have probably seen the highlights of England’s goalkeeper, Robert Green, miss the bounding shot taken by the US striker to tie the match. The resultant goal tied the game and lost the victory for England. This is a mistake of dramatic proportions considering the stakes of the game and the fact that it happened on the world stage. However, the fact is, England has more games to play and this does not ruin their chances of winning the World Cup. What it will show, is how much of team this squad really is.

As you can expert, after the match, all of the players were supporting their goaltender. That is what teams do, they support each other (although in a fit of what I can only call a mental lapse, the coach inferred the goalkeeper might not start the next game – way to build up his confidence). Success in sports, just as in business, is all about teamwork. It is not about the individual stars, it is about how everyone works together towards a common goal. If England really does support their goalie then they will come out and do whatever it takes to win their next match and put the situation behind them. They need to show themselves and everyone else, that they support each other regardless of what happens. The most toxic (and easiest) thing to do when something goes wrong is to blame everyone else and focus on the negative outcomes.

England can show some character by winning their next two matches, advancing on, and putting it behind them. They have the opportunity to teach us a lesson in teamwork and focus. Let’s see how it all plays out!