Last Updated on December 20, 2022
It is not always easy to motivate a team, and the task of motivating oneself might be even more difficult. Leaders need to make sure that they never lose sight of this goal that’s why here are short stories about leadership and teamwork you can share with your colleagues!
Employees that work in teams often need a reminder about why they are on a team and what their purpose as a team member is. If you are looking for a great story to boost your employee performance and positive attitude, an inspiring small story on teamwork may do the job!
These stories can help them envision how they will feel when they accomplish their goals, which makes it more likely for them to stick with the goals of the company.
Sharing this team spirit story also provides an opportunity for employees to share their own inspirational moments with one another to encourage bonding and support for one another.
Teamwork Story To Have A Successful Team
Table of Contents
Find your Balloon
Once there was a manager who had a team of around 40 who were brilliant and hardworking employees. Everything seemed perfect except for one thing: the group has a hard time communicating and sharing information with each other.
Then one day, the manager had an idea. He decided to take his group on a team outing and personally prepared games consisting of 3 rounds.
During the first game, the manager told everyone to blow a balloon and write their names without popping it. The team members complied and successfully did it.
After that, the leader told them to wait outside for the next round. When they were instructed to enter the room again, the members saw more balloons in the room without names and scattered around.
The manager told his team to search for the balloon that belongs to them. The first three persons to bring him the balloon will win while those who pop the balloon will be automatically disqualified.
15 minutes have already passed and not a single one was able to identify their balloon that’s why the leader decided to proceed to the next round instead. For the next round, the team leader told his young group to pick any balloons from the room and give it to the person whose name was on it.
Within a couple of minutes, everyone had their balloon with their own names. The manager proceeded to tell his members how they were not able to search for their balloons in the first round because they’re focusing too much on their individual targets. Whereas, in just a short time, they were able to do the second round because of the power of teamwork and sharing with each other.
Moral of the Story:
There are moments where people hide information from others and distance themselves from other team members. Having this kind of mindset can disrupt growth within the team and even individually.
Learning to work and care for others is really essential for a team to succeed.
The Ant’s Secret Formula to Success
There is a world that humans are not aware of – or could even comprehend when they witness it. What humans didn’t know was that there is an insect world that operates just like the human world does.
The insects have responsibilities, jobs, hobbies, friends, and even sports games that they take seriously. The most anticipated and important game for them is the great acrobatic balloon competition which only occurs a couple of times each year.
The flying insects were the favorite to win the competition because they can grab the balloon strings and take them in any direction. However, on the day of the competition, there was an unlikely group of ants who joined the game.
They were not the crowd’s favorite because they can’t do anything special. They were very light and had never joined the competition in the past. When asked by the other insects why they wish to take part in the game, the ants just simply say that “Our formula to success is teamwork.”
The other insects made fun of them and told them that they are no match for the flying insects. When the competition began, it was not surprising that the firefly and butterfly did an amazing job with their amazing colors and their twist and turns.
When it was time for the ants’ performance, one by one they climbed up the balloon string – making a black thread of ants. To reach the balloon, the last ant climbed over his teammates when the string was covered and this got everyone’s attention. The ant continued to climb right under the balloon where it was tied and waited for everyone to gather there.
Finally, the ant at the top opened its jaw and bite the balloon. This caused a hole and the balloon started blowing out air. It flew wildly all over the place doing thousands of spins while the synchronized ants made shapes from out of the string.
The performance was so good and unique that all the insects decided that the winner should be the ants. From then on, they all understood how important working together was and even practiced it in other everyday activities.
Moral of the Story:
Although it is true that you can achieve success on your own, the biggest success there is still is achieved through teamwork. Successful people around the world always have a good team behind them.
Bundle of Sticks
There was an old man living with his three sons in a village. All his sons were hardworking but they quarrel all the time. Their father did his best to unite them but failed many times which is why the villagers made fun of his sons’ fights.
As time passed by, the old man got sick. He told all his sons to get along with each other but they seemed to not hear his words. Because of this, the old man decided to teach them a practical lesson.
He called all his sons and gave them a bundle of sticks. He told them to separate each stick and break them into two pieces. The one who can quickly break the sticks will be given the most reward and all the sons agreed to the condition.
They all received a bundle of 10 sicks and once they were done breaking them into pieces, they started to quarrel again about who finished first. The father interfered and told them that the game is not yet over. He gave them another bundle of sticks but they’d have to break it in bundles, not separately.
His sons agreed but failed to do the task even when they tried hard. The old man told his sons that the sticks were all the same and that the single stick was easier to break than the bundle. This is the same with staying united. Nobody can harm and easily defeat you if you just stick and work together.
The three sons understood their lesson. They promised their father that they would all stay together whatever the problem is.
Moral of the Story:
True strength comes to those who decide to unite. A true leader knows how to unite his people to work towards a common goal.
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Being Right or Finishing the Job?
In a faraway jungle lives two best friends: the monkey and the elephant. The two animals always did everything together, regardless of how dangerous, foolish, or unthinkable it may be.
One day, a sudden disagreement happened between the two. They were arguing about who contributed more to their adventures. The monkey argued that it’s better to be fast and flexible while the elephant believed that being strong is the most important trait.
The two couldn’t reach an agreement and this issue almost ruined their friendship so they decided to seek the wise owl to settle their dispute.
The owl told the two animals that he’ll ask their question only if they could bring back a unique fruit that is located across the river. The two friends argued that it would be impossible but they agreed to try in the end.
When they reached the riverbank, the monkey realized that the river is impossible to cross because it’s very deep and the current was too strong. However, the elephant easily crossed the river towards the tree but the fruit was too high. He tried to knock the tree down with his strength but to no avail.
The elephant went back across the river and told the monkey to jump on his back. Together they went back to the other side and once they reached the tree, the monkey quickly climbed the tree and successfully pick the fruit.
The two friends went back together to the owl in which the owl asked them how they took the fruit. The monkey declared that he was the one who plucked the fruit from the tree but the elephant strongly argued that without his help, the monkey won’t be able to cross the river in the first place.
The wise owl stopped the argument and told the two animals to think about what is more important: to be the one who is right or getting the job done. He added that they should both look at the bigger picture and not see themselves as superior to others.
Moral of the Story:
You are more powerful when you work together with other people. Achieving your goal is not possible without help from other people.
Final thoughts
Behind any great end result and success, a good team that works well together is mostly to thank for. In today’s world where teamwork is given importance in every company, leaders and employees who avoid collaboration tend to pose challenges for business owners.
Hard work, communication, and support are just some of the things every team should have to work together effectively.
