Building a cohesive, effective team takes a lot more than words—but words are important too. They convey wisdom, they inspire trust, they illuminate leadership’s vision.
And these men and women had vision to spare. From innovators like Henry Ford to the world’s richest person, Jeff Bezos, these leaders have had an awful lot to say about the importance of teamwork—and, by extension, the value of team building activities. Read on for some words of wisdom from people who very much know what they were talking about.
1. “If you want to lead others, you’ve got to have their trust, and you can’t have their trust without integrity.” —James Hackett, chief executive of Ford Motor Company
2. “By definition if there’s leadership, it means there are followers, and you’re only as good as the followers. I believe the quality of the followers is in direct correlation to the respect you hold them in. It’s not how much they respect you that is most important. It’s actually how much you respect them. It’s everything.” —Jeffrey Katzenberg, former chairman, Walt Disney Studios
3. “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” —Henry Ford, seen at left
4. “Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” —Steve Jobs
5. “If we win the hearts and minds of employees, we’re going to have better business success.” —Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors
6. “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” —Andrew Carnegie
7. “The best teamwork comes from men who are working independently toward one goal in unison.” —James Cash Penney
8. “If you can’t feed a team with two pizzas, it’s too large.” —Jeff Bezos, founder & CEO, Amazon
9. “No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.” —Reid Hoffman, co-founder and executive chairman, LinkedIn
10. “Success is empty if you arrive at the finish line alone. The best reward is to get there surrounded by winners.” —Howard Schultz, CEO, Starbucks
Get in the Game
Watson Adventures offers team building activities throughout the country. On teams, you’ll follow clues to uncover secrets about the places you visit and perhaps take creative team photos. Learn more or contact us about team building scavenger hunts.