Why There Is No “I” in Team

I suppose if one were to look at the etymology of the word “team”, one would arrive at its proto-Germanic derivation, Taumaz, which signifies the act of pulling or to draw together. These are words that illustrate cohesion. A team consists of a collection of individuals put together to form or seek out a common purpose as a whole. Thomas Edison was once asked why he needed twenty-one assistants; he simply responded “If I could solve all the problems myself, I would...”, a response that elicits the simplicity of the concept and the need for teamwork.
Teamwork is a concept that is paralleled ubiquitously, it exists far beyond the realm of society and transcends down to the microscopic level. The very fabrication of consciousness relies on the collective work of a system of neurons working together to manifest the illusion of your very “reality”. The digestive system doesn’t simply rely on the stomach alone, but rather involves the cooperation and contribution from the small and large intestine, the gallbladder, and the mouth, etc. A company’s success depends on the collective contribution of its financial sector, marketing sector, corporate, retailers and consumers. Each sector plays its respective role for the part they are held responsible for (i.e. Marketing, accounting, investments etc). The company would crumble and begin to fall apart if even one of its sectors were to disappear entirely.
Thus, a team is comprised of a collection of individuals, each with a specific role to play, tasked to contribute equally for the benefit and success of everyone in the team. The cooperation among individual members accompanied with altruism for the team provides the scaffolding that binds each member together, providing support for its final product, the team. Individualism reveals a selfish nature that lies within its concept, which would bring destruction when applied to a team setting. Phil Jackson of the Chicago Bulls once stated, “The strength of the team is