How Well Do You Know the “I”s in Your Team?

Heidi Dawson
Jan 2
3 min read

Updated: Dec 30, 2025

WHY RECOGNISING INDIVIDUALITY IS THE KEY TO STRONGER, MORE CONNECTED TEAMS

Throughout my years working in the corporate world, I regularly heard the phrase, “there’s no I in team.”

It’s a message I’ve never really bought into. In fact, I believe the opposite is true. Every team is made up of “I”s – individuals with their own skills, talents, values, needs, desires and aspirations.

When we ignore that individuality, we don’t get a team. We get a group of people sharing space, roles, or job titles, often pulling in slightly different directions.

When we recognise and value the “I”s, we create the conditions for trust, engagement and genuine collaboration. That’s where strong teams are built.

Why Individuality Matters in Team Performance

High-performing teams don’t happen by accident. They are shaped by leaders who understand that people don’t leave their humanity at the door when they come to work.

Each individual brings something different to the mix. When those differences are acknowledged and used well, the team becomes stronger than the sum of its parts.

Ignoring individuality, on the other hand, often leads to disengagement, quiet resentment, or people shrinking themselves to fit a role that was never designed for them.

Encourage the Heart

In The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner remind us that, “to keep hope and determination alive, leaders must recognise the contributions that individuals make.”

Individuals are the heart and soul of any effective team. Recognising effort, growth and contribution isn’t about ego – it’s about belonging.

When people feel seen and valued, they show up differently. They take responsibility. They care about the collective, not just their own corner of the work.

What Horses Teach Us About Team Dynamics

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you’ll know that my own team has experienced a lot of change over the last couple of years – the loss of Zahra, our special mare; relocating from Yorkshire to Lincolnshire; and welcoming Lennie into the herd.

Each change created a shift in the team dynamic because each individual experienced those changes differently, myself included.

This period of transition created space for roles to be tested and redefined. Cloud has stepped into greater responsibility for the safety of the group. Billy, in contrast, has softened his grip, realising he no longer needs to compete with younger members of the herd. As a result, he’s noticeably more relaxed.

Cloud has also taken it upon himself to induct Lennie into her new team. His enthusiasm, while well-intentioned, has been a perfect example of something we see in human teams too – the importance of offering support, then knowing when to step back and allow a new team member to find their own feet.

Lennie, thankfully, is more than capable of holding her own.

We don’t bring new people into our teams to mould them into copies of what already exists. We bring them in because of the strengths and qualities they already possess.

GETTING TO KNOW THE "I"S IN YOUR TEAM

So, how well do you really know the “I”s behind the job titles in your team?

How often do you explore people’s strengths, motivations and values rather than just focusing on what sits in their role description?

In my experience, one of the most valuable investments a leader can make is time. Time spent getting to know the person, not just managing the performance.

That might look like:

Five minutes, one-to-one, at the coffee machine
A regular team hour where wellbeing comes before tasks
A structured team development programme that explores communication, trust and emotional intelligence

For me and my equine team, it’s about presence. Being with them. Observing relationships. Demonstrating consistency, authenticity and calm leadership – especially for Cloud, who needs to know that the herd is supported by a leader he can rely on.