No 'I' In Team

I was watching a football game and one of the winning players was asked about the victory. He said, "We won because we believe there is no I in team".
Hmmmmm This cliché' that implies the individual must give up his or her identity to succeed in life bothers me very much. I have heard that line in sports, in schools, and among some groups that wanted to reign in their members to make them conform. Is this really a good perspective? Should people always subject their own interest to the whole? I think not always. Er...only infrequently.
I like people who go against the norm, who challenge convention, who innovate, who think differently. Team players don't do that. They follow the herd and make sure they do not upset the common belief. But in doing that they limit the possibility of new ideas, new ways, new perspectives.(Hehe This an excuse for my cell phone rants)
It's been my policy to always encourage Jane to do what she thinks is best, and not what everyone else does. Further, I have tried to show her that the team goals are sometimes not the right or best ones. Sometimes the team is wrong and sometimes going on an individual path makes for better results and greater happiness. Aren't most new ideas and products the result of people not being "on the team"?
When someone tells me there is "no 'I' in team" I tell them, "Right, but there is an I in 'independence' and 'individuality'." There are times when joining the team means giving up those, and I will not do that. The late comedian Groucho Marx once said that "I don't want to join a club that would have me as a member" It's a funny line....but also an insightful one.
So I advise Jane to be wary of teams, to join them if she wishes but be careful they don't stifle her imagination. I tell her to never ever give up her individuality by making the team more important than herself, for without individuals there is no team. Yep, when people say I am not a team member I thank them for noticing. You do agree with all of this? Well, if your a team member you will! Remember, there is no 'I' in team.....