Tom Brady just explained why your sales team isn't working

Twenty years ago, I learned a lesson that's shaped every single management decision I've made since.

A great team will always outperform a collection of individual stars—no matter how talented those stars are.

I don't care if you're talking about a sales team, an executive team, or the Patriots in their prime. The outcome is always the same.

And once you've been part of a real team—the kind where everyone's aligned on the same goal, willing to sacrifice for each other, and committed to winning together—you never want to work any other way.

What a Real Team Actually Looks Like

A team isn't just people sitting in the same office or reporting to the same manager.

A real team is a group of people who:

• Are actually aligned on what they're trying to achieve

• Are committed to helping the team hit that goal

• Will collaborate, share best practices, and put in the extra effort

• Will train the newbie, hop on the extra call, do whatever it takes

When you've got that working? You get output that's greater than the sum of the individual parts. That's a system in and of itself. That's a team operating the way it's supposed to.

And if you've experienced it, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

If you haven't? There's a good chance you think I'm full of shit. You're thinking, "You can't build a real sales team like that. People are too selfish. They'll always care more about their own numbers than the collective output."

I'm telling you—you absolutely can. And once you do, you can’t unsee it.

My First Management Role

When I got my first big promotion to manage a sales team, I walked in and said, "We're rebuilding this culture."

We fired half the team. Put core values in place. Started hiring and firing according to those values. We made the collective mission the number one thing.

Obviously, we had fair compensation and incentive plans aligned. But the culture came first.

It took a minute to build. But once we had it? I thought to myself: This just changed the trajectory of my career forever. I never want to play on a unit that isn't a team.

And I haven't. Every time I've been in an environment that doesn't operate this way, I feel it immediately. The quality of work-life drops significantly. It's just not as fun. Not as good a use of my time. And I either change it, or go somewhere else.

Champions vs. Stars

I caught a clip from Tom Brady recently that nailed this concept perfectly. He breaks down the difference between champions and stars—and why he'd take a team full of champions over stars any day.

Here's the key quote:

"Champions do what the stars aren't always willing to do. And I would prefer to be on a team full of champions over stars."

He's right. And it's not just football. This is psychology.

People operating as a team is a completely different experience.

People, Not Just Players

At the Chamber, we had a rule: No prima donnas.

I didn't care about your numbers. I didn't care about your resume. That wasn't enough to earn immunity to be an asshole.

Too many sales organizations tolerate toxic performers because they need the individual output. They say, "Yeah, we need to hit the goal, so we need that person in that seat."

Individual > Team

But when you build a team the right way? No individual player is more important than the unit as a whole.

Even if you were the number one performer, you were expected to maintain the culture, the values, the winning attitude, and the team mindset.

And there's a reason we didn't miss a goal for ten years straight. Not one strategic goal. Not one revenue goal. And the goals were increasingly difficult every year.

We went through political headwinds. Economic trouble. Didn't matter. We crushed the number.

Because missing the number wasn't an option. And everyone was committed to making sure we didn't.

We were playing a team sport.

What You're Missing

Tom says if you don't have that team mindset, you won't be a champion.

I'd go further: You won't be as fulfilled in your career.

The thing you're doing 8-10 hours a day (or more)—if you're not part of a real team, you're missing something fundamental.

You might think you're on a team. But if you've never experienced an actual, legitimate, aligned team? It will change your entire paradigm.

Your Next Hire

Think about this the next time you're hiring.

Your next salesperson. Your next VP. Hell, even your next admin.

Is this person going to contribute to the team mindset you want to build?

If you make decisions based on that—instead of just resumes and experience and what you think their individual talent will be—you'll end up with a lot more wins on the board.

I've taken shots on people who didn't have quite the experience or proven talent of someone else. But they were coachable. Hungry. Prepared. Excited about the culture.

And you know what? They operated better. They were a better fit.

Because they were people, not just players.

Build your team that way, and you won't just win more.

You'll actually enjoy the game.

Adios.