Inspirational Quotes About Teamwork

We love stories about the brave hero who stands alone, but in real life, very little is accomplished without the help of a team. Whether that is putting up a tent, or building an international business, we work better, and can achieve more, if we operate as a team.

We’ve gathered our favourite team building quotes to show that achievements of any size can only be made if we work together.

Top 11 Quotes About Teamwork

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
-Helen Keller

Helen Keller, born 1880, is an incredible example of what teamwork can achieve. Before the age of two an illness left her blind and deaf meaning alone, she would have struggled. With the help of others, she learned to communicate, and then to write, eventually publishing 14 books and becoming a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has been working to improve civil rights for over 100 years.

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”
– Henry Ford

The industrialist Henry Ford revolutionised manufacturing by realising that specialisation resulted in more productive teams of workers. A team where each member’s work complimented the other produced far more than working alone. His quote on working together makes this clear.

“Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.”
– Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs is often recognised as a business leader with a singular vision, but what Apple Computers achieved was only possible through the hard work of designers, marketers, and technicians who had the skills he lacked.

“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
– Harry S. Truman

Ego can be a real impediment to a functioning and productive team. By putting aside individual pride in the outcome, and realising that the glory of success is shared by everyone involved, great things can be done.

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
– Phil Jackson

If anyone knows the importance of teamwork, it will be a basketball player and coach. Phil Jackson coached the Los Angeles Lakers between 2005 and 2011, and knew that no single player was the most important, and no single player could succeed against a united team. Phil Jackson promoted the idea of ‘selfless team play’and is considered one of the greatest coaches of all time.

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”
– Ryunosuke Satoro

Japanese writer Ryunosuke Satoro recognised the value of working together. His metaphor of the ocean is a powerful one. A single drop of water accomplishes nothing, but an ocean is unstoppable.

“Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.”
– Unknown

Any big effort can be lessened by working together, and the rewards can be greater. Teamwork magnifies both the effort put into a task and the results it achieves. One person might be able to build a house, but no one can build a city alone.

“Teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.”
– Patrick Lencioni

Working together requires vulnerability from the individuals who make up the team because they have to rely on other team members to do their part. Teamwork is therefore an expression of trust in each other and in the team leadership.

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”
– Michael Jordan

The superstar basketball player Michael Jordan is considered one of the greatest players of all time, but he could not have succeeded without a team. Success is not measured in terms of individual games but in seasons and championships. One player might make a big contribution to a single game, but victory throughout a season is only possible when the team works together.

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
– Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton is one of the greatest scientists of all time, and his discoveries redefined classical physics. His discoveries did not occur in a vacuum, and he knew that his understanding of the world was only possible because of the knowledge shared by those who came before him.

“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.”
– H.E. Luccock

An orchestra is one of the best examples of teamwork you will find. A single musician can play a tune, but it takes an orchestra working in concert, each with their own part to play, and led by a conductor, to perform a symphony.

Go Further With Army Cadets

Teamwork and leadership are essential qualities of the Army Cadets. We even provide a BTEC Diploma in Teamwork and Personal Development which can lead to the ILM level 3 award in Leadership and Management.

But real teamwork begins on the ground: Find out more about the Army Cadets and get involved, contact your local detachment today.