When the Individual Merges with the Group

Ultraviolet Andromeda (NASA)

I've spent the bulk of my life immersed in Western culture--which insists on individualism. However much the individual would like to take credit for individual successes, it's an unhealthy practice in an organization.  Oddly enough when we are looking at the bigger picture we understand the individual must combine with the group. NASA superimposed 330 images to create this single image of the Andromeda Galaxy.

The required text, The Leader's Guide to Storytelling, does a wonderful job of disassembling the groan heard around the world over introducing "teamwork in a traditional organization" which the author claims is because "most people have been subjected to large quantities of fake collaboration."  Of course most people are in an organization together for a reason and over time that reason seems like a distant star is a galaxy far, far away.  From my experience I can also assume people who are thrust together to accomplish a task are often not guided by a warm hearted leader who cares much about the happiness of the team. Also, if the focus is on the bottom line then if there is teamwork it is often thwarted by the cutthroat members of the organization.

Isn't there a way to introduce people into teams where there are grins, not groans?  Denning quotes The Wisdom of Teams authors:

"What sets apart high-performance teams...is the degree of commitment, particularly how deeply committed the members are to one another. Such commitments go well beyond civility and teamwork. Each genuinely helps the others to achieve both personal and professional goals."

He further describes aligning people to collaborate rests on shared values. I don't think many traditional organizations are capable of pulling this off, yet I also feel that any leader worth her or his salt should be treating everyone on their team with the care and concern mentioned above. Is it the leader on the team who should introduce this concept to the group? I think the first step a No Excuses leader should consider is merging herself or himself into the group.