Another boat analogy. Picture a boat that is sinking. The bow is low in the water and the two people up front are bailing water. There are two people sitting in the stern of the boat that is raised out of the water as the bow sinks and they say to each other, “I’m sure glad the hole isn’t on our side of the boat.”
You get the irony of the situation, the entire boat is going to sink, not just the bow. It doesn’t matter where the hole is, everyone is going to get wet.
But too many operate this way in the world. They sit in conference rooms and listen while a particular team is struggling, content “their team” is doing great. But if the company loses customers, it doesn’t matter which team was the cause, they will all be impacted.
With great sports teams, each player knows they have a specific role and responsibility, but they are also mindful of what’s going on with their fellow teammates. If someone falls, their teammates will pick up their responsibility in the moment. Everyone must do their part, but then they need to be aware and willing to assist the other members of the team when needed. All the players know that it is the team as a whole that will win or lose.