Although Vince Lomabardi’s wisdom is derived from football, his statement about teamwork is a universal truth—simply put, it is the greatest teammates that create the greatest teams, not necessarily the brightest stars. This is especially true in the sport of adventure racing, and in a larger sense, the sport of life. World Class Teams choose to work together because they are better, stronger, faster, more productive, and more successful because of one another versus in spite of one another. Together they are able to generate a driving force that is greater than the sum of their individual strengths—a “magic” that bonds them to one another and brings them to the finish line together. It is from my Eco-Challenge teams’ experiences with this magic that I have developed this “Building World Class Teams: The 8 Essential Elements of Human Synergy” program.

For the past 10 years, I have been hurting myself in foreign countries with four of my closest friends in search of the key to successful teamwork. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the not-so-pretty in both my teammates and myself. But among the most important things I have learned is that by helping one another we help ourselves, that success comes from mentoring one another unselfishly, that in the long run we will all be the weakest link AND the strongest one, and that coaching is far more impactful than criticism.

I am still on a journey to become the best teammate and leader I can be. And it is definitely a process that takes awareness and commitment. But I am loving every minute of it. Especially when I can help others to find the great teammate within themselves. I still get chills very time I give my presentation or watch the amazing transformation of groups of individuals to World Class Teams right before my eyes in one of our AdventureTeambuilding programs or Mini Eco-Challenge events. I hope you will, too…

Adventure Always, Robyn Benincasa

PS: Important Disclaimer! World Class Teams programs are so life-affirming that afterward, you may find yourself doing all kinds of things you may never have dreamed possible. Past clients have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, started their own companies, run their first triathlon, won the biggest contracts in their company’s history, and (gasp!) started their own adventure racing teams.