Is your team a da Vinci team?

One of my favorite colleagues is a funny and smart process engineer named Alireza. You know the type.... If there were something higher than a Six Sigma black belt (a platinum belt with bling, perhaps?), he probably would easily achieve it.  

One day, I lamented to Alireza that I wished I had more of his focus, organization, and straight-forward strategic thinking. He replied by encouraging me that I have gifts that he doesn't and that he admired my creativity, communication skills, and ability to connect with just about anyone. 

But I continued my "woe is me" moment by saying, "But I want to be more naturally focused as well. I want your strengths and mine!"

Alireza's reply to this was, "If you had all the 'giftings', you would be da Vinci!" (He and I are both fans of good old "Leo"). 

The conversation not only made me feel a bit better about myself, but it helped me better understand the importance of teams. 

It truly takes all of our different "wirings" and skill sets to accomplish most things worth accomplishing. 

The goal of an effective team shouldn't be to clone each other. Rather, we should be constantly striving to bring out each other's skills and gifts in order to bring the needed balance and momentum to achieve our goals.

Would you say you are part of a da Vinci team? If not, what steps are needed to get there?

Just a few thoughts to "chew on" over the weekend!