The quality most needed among teammates amidst the pressure of a difficult challenge is collaboration. Becoming a collaborative team player requires a change in four areas:
1. Perception: See teammates as collaborators, not competitors — completing one another is more important than competing with one another.
2. Attitude: Be supportive, not suspicious, of teammates — if you trust people, you will treat them better. And both you and they will be more likely to create collaborative relationships.
3. Focus: Concentrate on the team, not yourself — author Cavett Roberts points out, “True progress in any field is a relay race and not a single event.” If you focus on the team and not just yourself, you will be able to pass the baton when necessary.
4. Results: Create great victories through multiplication — collaboration has a multiplying effect on everything you do, because it releases and harnesses not only your skills but those of everyone on the team.
Excerpt from The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player