Character Development: Teamwork And Affirmations

In this episode of the Character Strengths Affirmation Series, we explore the strength of Teamwork, another expression of the virtue of Justice.

Teamwork is the art of coming together in shared purpose — blending our unique gifts, perspectives, and energies toward something greater than ourselves. It teaches us that collaboration is not about sameness, but about resonance — learning to move in rhythm with others while staying true to our own voice.

My hope is that this episode inspires you to see teamwork as both a practice and a presence — a way of belonging that honors your individuality while strengthening the whole.

Through reflection and affirmation, we will deepen our capacity to communicate with honesty, to celebrate the diverse strengths around us, and to cultivate a spirit of connection that uplifts both self and community.

Peace and blessings,
Hannah

Transcript

In a world that often focuses so much on what we lack,

It's easy to overlook the incredible internal strengths that each of us possess.

Grounded in ancient philosophy and modern science,

This series invites you to reconnect with the innate strengths that make you who you are,

Promoting balance and harmony in everyday life.

Whether you're looking to boost your confidence,

Overcome negative self-talk,

Deepen your relationships,

Or simply invite a greater sense of well-being,

My hope is that this series offers a practical and uplifting path to personal growth.

Alright,

Hello beautiful people and welcome back to our Character Strengths Affirmation Series.

In each session we explore one of the 24 character strengths identified by positive psychology,

Strengths that fall under the virtues of courage,

Humanity,

Wisdom,

Justice,

Temperance,

Or transcendence.

These are traits that help us show up as our best,

Truest,

And most authentic selves.

Today,

We are going to be continuing our journey into the virtue of justice,

Which the Values in Action Institute defines as strengths that help us build healthy communities and contribute to the common good.

The virtue of justice includes three character strengths,

Fairness,

Teamwork,

And leadership,

And in this episode,

We are going to be moving forward from fairness and exploring the beautiful and essential strength of teamwork.

Teamwork is one of those strengths that for me brings to mind like,

I don't know,

Like sports teams and like work projects and like icebreaker activities that you do in meetings and for me like,

Listen,

I'm an introvert and all of those things just stir up feelings of restlessness and suffering.

But teamwork is more profound and far-reaching than that.

Teamwork is more of an orientation toward group dynamics.

So,

Moving forward with this framework that I use from the Values in Action Institute,

Teamwork is referred to this commitment to contributing to the group's success.

So,

This team could be your work group,

It could be your family,

It could be your marriage,

It could be a circle of friends working on a project together,

It could be the broader community like your neighborhood or your country or humanity as a whole.

When I worked as a family therapist,

Teamwork came up constantly.

When conflict arose,

We practiced reframing the dynamic from me versus you to us against the problem.

Teamwork invites collaboration rooted in spaciousness,

The understanding that there is room for everyone's truth and that the collective insight is richer than any one single perspective.

When we practice teamwork,

We cultivate belonging,

Resilience,

And collective joy.

There are three powerful concepts that contribute to teamwork.

The first is citizenship,

Which is about taking responsibility for one's community,

Caring for the collective good,

Being willing to contribute your time,

Skills,

Or energy to help things function well.

The second is loyalty,

Which involves trust and commitment to a group.

It's about standing by your people,

Having their backs,

And remaining dependable even when challenges arise.

And the third is patriotism,

Which speaks to love and loyalty towards one's sense of place.

At its healthiest,

It's a devotion to the values and well-being of a community that you call home.

Being a successful teammate also means understanding and honoring the role you play within the team.

Every group is an ecosystem,

And each person's contribution,

Whether it's leadership,

Organization,

Creativity,

Or a quiet steadiness,

Holds equal value in keeping that system alive and balanced.

Not everyone is meant to lead the meeting,

Or generate ideas,

Or take the spotlight.

I had someone tell me once,

You can only have one quarterback,

But you need all the players to play the game.

Listen,

I'm not a sports person.

Maybe not the community to be making a sports reference,

But it's a good one.

Let me think of another example.

On a research team,

Not everybody is going to be the stats person.

You know what I'm saying?

Somebody is going to be really good at writing.

Somebody is going to be really good at creating methodology in a way that is going to be externally valid.

There are different roles that we play,

And the idea is to find people that we're compatible with.

There are some people who hold space,

Bring calm,

Or offer grounding when tension arises.

There are others who see the big picture and anticipate needs.

There are those who nurture morale when motivation fades.

Each role,

Whether it's visible or unseen,

Is vital.

When we know our role and play it with intention,

We prevent burnout,

Confusion,

And competition.

We allow trust to deepen.

And when we can also recognize and celebrate the role that others play,

Teamwork becomes less about hierarchy and more about harmony,

Like instruments in a shared song.

Being a good teammate isn't about doing everything.

It's about doing your part wholeheartedly while trusting others to do theirs.

That's how collective strength is built,

Through shared rhythm,

Respect,

And interdependence.

As with any of these strengths,

The key is balance.

I operate using Aristotle's golden mean,

Which is the idea that virtue exists between two vices,

That of deficiency and that of excess.

When teamwork is underused,

We may isolate ourselves or resist collaboration,

Often not out of arrogance but out of habit or protection.

Sometimes it comes from a belief that we can,

Or must,

Handle everything alone.

Maybe we grew up in environments where asking for help was met with disappointment,

Or where independence was mistaken for strength.

Over time,

That self-reliance becomes an armor.

In work settings,

This might look like refusing to delegate because we just don't trust others to do things right.

We tell ourselves it's just easier to do it ourselves,

But underneath that is often a fear of being let down or losing control.

In relationships,

Underusing teamwork can look like avoiding vulnerability,

Trying to carry all the weight alone,

Taking on every emotional labor,

Or believing that leaning on others makes us a burden.

We might not realize that in doing so,

We actually deprive others of the opportunity to show up and connect with us.

In community life,

Underusing teamwork can mean checking out when things feel too big or messy,

Convincing ourselves that the problems of our workplace,

Our neighborhood,

Or our world just isn't our job.

But I want to be clear,

Teamwork isn't about solving everything.

It's about showing up where we can,

Trusting that many small contributions weave into something meaningful.

After thinking about this for a while,

I've come to realize that I think in some ways underusing teamwork often comes down to an imbalance in trust.

Either not trusting others to do or carry their share,

Or not trusting ourselves to rest,

Receive,

Or to be supported.

Or it's just out of sheer avoidance and a lack of desire to connect with people.

It could just be a deficiency also in social intelligence.

It's hard to be in a team if you don't know how to interact with them.

So I think,

You know,

It's important to look at the ways in which some of our other strengths can be utilized for us to understand how we best could contribute to a group.

How could I use my use of honesty,

Or my use of bravery,

Or my use of humility,

Or my use of,

I don't know,

Like love and kindness to improve my reality in any given group situation?

When we actually experience what it's like to shift and soften our stance,

To let others in,

And experience the deeper truths of teamwork,

We realize that shared responsibility doesn't dilute our power,

It multiplies it.

When teamwork is overused,

We can lose ourselves in the group and begin to neglect our own needs.

It often starts with good intentions,

Wanting to help,

To contribute,

To be dependable,

To have a sense of belonging.

But when the balance tips too far,

Our generosity turns into depletion.

Sometimes this shows up as always putting the team first,

Even when we're exhausted or stretched too thin.

We keep saying yes,

Thinking the group can't function without us,

Or believing that being a good teammate means self-sacrifice.

But when our cup runs empty,

We can't pour into others in a way that's sustainable or wholehearted.

I,

When I was in college,

I had roommates,

Because,

You know,

I was a college student,

And it was,

I think,

My junior year of college.

I lived in this really fun house with,

I had like five roommates,

And I loved hanging out with them,

Like making dinner.

And I would get to a point where I was like ready to go to bed.

Like I,

My social battery had died like 10 minutes ago.

And for some reason,

I was like,

No,

Like they're all still hanging out,

Like I need to continue hanging out with everyone.

And then I would get super depleted.

And like,

I was like,

Tired and not happy.

And then when I would say goodnight and say goodbye,

I was like not as friendly as I could have been.

And so it was like the most bizarre thing like this,

The teamwork here being like my household.

Here I was thinking like,

Oh,

They just like want to spend time.

We just want to spend time together so much that we do it to the point that we're not like good to be around each other.

I'm like the logic just wasn't there.

So I had to get good at having a boundary with myself and prioritize the me that's saying goodbye over staying as long as possible.

So that's just one example.

I feel like I see this one a lot when I'm working with families where you'll see it's oftentimes the mom,

But it's not always the mom.

Sometimes it's dad,

Sometimes it's older,

Oldest sister.

Listen,

Maybe it's oldest.

It could be anybody where they will think like if I just give everything to the family,

Then I'm doing what I want because I love my family.

I just want to be there for them.

And then they come to realize that there's like a hidden resentment in there because they're not taking care of themselves.

And if their goal is to be there for the family,

They also need to also themselves need to figure out which version of them is showing up in the family.

You know what I'm saying?

Like we have all these different versions of us that show up in the group dynamics that we belong to,

And we have to prioritize taking care of ourselves by having boundaries.

Okay,

I'm going to get off that high horse and keep going.

So overusing teamwork can also look like silencing our truth to keep the peace.

Holding back honest feedback or new ideas because we fear rocking the boat.

In doing so,

We mistake harmony for health.

Real collaboration requires honesty and differentiation.

Without it,

Teams become echo chambers instead of ecosystems.

It might also appear as saying yes to every request just to maintain the image of being reliable,

Agreeable,

Or kind.

This goes back to what I was talking about earlier a little bit.

This often stems from a fear of disappointing others or a belief that our worth depends on being useful.

Let me say that again.

This often stems from a fear of disappointing others or a belief that our worth depends on being useful.

The truth is saying no at the right time is sometimes the most loyal act we can offer a team.

It protects both our energy and the group's integrity.

And sometimes overusing teamwork means staying in groups or ecosystems that no longer align with our values.

This could be out of misplaced loyalty or obligation,

But what happens is we confuse endurance for devotion.

True loyalty isn't about blind allegiance.

It's about mutual respect,

Accountability,

And a shared purpose.

At its heart,

Overusing teamwork happens when belonging becomes survival rather than connection.

When we reclaim our voice and our boundaries,

We rediscover that the strongest teams are not built on self-erasure.

They're built on authenticity,

Where every person brings their full,

Honest self to the table.

We want to be professional.

We want to be thoughtful.

We want to understand the context.

But yeah,

That's it,

Really.

So again and again and again,

The challenge comes back to finding balance,

Contributing wholeheartedly while honoring our own individuality.

Teamwork shines brightest when it uplifts everyone,

Including us.

This requires strong communication skills and a lot of honesty with ourselves and with other people.

It's not just about getting along.

It's about being open and respectful in how we communicate and doing so in a way that seeks to honor everyone feeling valued and heard.

It's being able to say,

I need help with this part,

Or I have a different idea I'd like to hear,

Or I appreciate your perspective.

Here's mine.

Without honest dialogue,

Even the most well-intentioned teams crumble under misunderstanding or silent resentment.

A bit more on that self-honesty part.

Sometimes we stay quiet because we fear conflict or because we just want to be liked.

Other times we push past our limits out of guilt or obligation.

Healthy teamwork asks us to pause and ask ourselves,

Am I speaking my truth?

Am I stretching beyond my limits?

Am I honoring my own values?

Am I honoring the contribution of those around me?

Or am I so focused on my perception of me,

On the mission that I have and my one-track mind of how I think that things should go,

That I've forgotten that there's a reason why I'm on this team to begin with?

Related,

There is a difference between complete self-sacrifice and sustainable generosity when it comes to teamwork.

We have to know our limits and express them with care.

This could be as simple as saying,

I can't take on more right now,

But I can help in a different way,

Or naming when a conversation feels unproductive,

Or recognizing when a conversation feels like a waste of time,

Or a waste of growth.

Because teamwork isn't about losing ourselves.

It's about bringing our whole selves into connection so that what we create with others becomes wiser and kinder and stronger than what any of us could have created alone.

Before we begin,

Let's pause for a brief blessing.

May we bring our full,

Authentic selves into the teams we belong to and find joy in the magic of shared purpose.

May we be blessed with voices that speak truth with kindness and ears that listen with openness and humility.

May we honor both our own needs and the needs of the whole,

Setting healthy boundaries that keep us grounded.

May our presence help weave communities of trust,

Respect,

And hope.

And may we always remember to be loyal,

Honest teammates to our own hearts.

I will read each statement twice,

Pausing in between to give you a chance to repeat them out loud to yourself,

And I do recommend saying them out loud.

The statements that are easy to embrace,

Savor them,

Appreciate them,

Stand like a mountain in their truth.

The statements that feel not so good,

That feel uncomfortable or foreign or like straight up lies,

Go ahead and say them anyway.

This is where we are doing the work,

Rewiring those neural networks.

This is also where we gain insight into unhealed wounds,

Limiting beliefs,

And ingrained biases or judgments toward ourselves or toward a particular way of being.

It's great material for journaling or discussing with a counselor or trusted friend,

Maybe even someone doing the series with you.

Whether you're just waking up,

Walking your dog,

On your commute,

Or getting ready for bed,

I hope these affirmations serve your deepest,

Greatest,

Highest self.

Let's begin.

I am a valuable team member.

I am a valuable team member.

I bring my unique skills to support the team's success.

I bring my unique skills to support the team's success.

I communicate clearly and respectfully with my teammates.

I communicate clearly and respectfully with my teammates.

I listen deeply and seek to understand others' perspectives.

I listen deeply and seek to understand others' perspectives.

I share my ideas with courage and kindness.

I share my ideas with courage and kindness.

I understand my role within a team.

I understand my role within a team.

I honor my boundaries while remaining committed to the group.

I honor my boundaries while remaining committed to the group.

I step forward when my leadership is needed.

I step forward when my leadership is needed.

I step back to make space for others to shine.

I step back to make space for others to shine.

I am dependable and follow through on my commitments.

I am dependable and follow through on my commitments.

I offer help and encouragement to my teammates.

I offer help and encouragement to my teammates.

I celebrate our collective successes with joy and gratitude.

I celebrate our collective successes with joy and gratitude.

I contribute to an environment of respect and trust.

I contribute to an environment of respect and trust.

I speak up when something isn't working.

I speak up when something isn't working.

I appreciate the diverse strengths of my teammates.

I appreciate the diverse strengths of my teammates.

I remain loyal to the team's shared purpose and values.

I remain loyal to the team's shared purpose and values.

I am flexible and open to new ways of working together.

I am flexible and open to new ways of working together.

I am a good teammate to others and to myself.

I am a good teammate to others and to myself.

As always,

Thank you so much for being here and for sharing the intention to work on ourselves so that we can be better for ourselves,

For humanity,

And for the world at large.

May you go forth with peace and many blessings and I will see you next time.