🧭 The Power of the 98%: Why Great Teams Aren't Built On Stars Alone

Dick Vitale on Glue Guys

“Glue guys aren’t superstars. They’re not the number 1 option. They just do things only coaches really appreciate. The stars get the headlines, but the glue guys help you get in the winner’s circle.”

Why Great Coaches are Flocking to this 2-Day Training

Most coaching clinics teach tactics. This one rewires how you think, lead, and unlock greatness - backed by the world’s top experts in mindset, resilience, and flow. If you want to coach the whole person (not just win games), this 2-day training will change how you lead forever.

How to Be a “Glue Guy”

You don’t need to be the star to be the difference.

In fact, the most valuable person on a team often isn’t the one scoring the most points or getting the headlines.

They’re the one holding it all together. They’re the glue.

Why this matters: Talent can win games, but teamwork is what makes wins sustainable. When pressure hits or adversity shows up, teams don’t rise to the level of their talent - they fall to the strength of their connections. Glue guys are the ones who hold standards, keep the group together, and turn a collection of individuals into a team.

🔍 What to know

Every team has stars. But the ones that win consistently? They have glue guys - teammates who do the dirty work, elevate others, and lead without needing attention. As NBA champion Shane Battier put it in his TED Talk:

“I impacted winning at the highest level… not by what I did with the ball, but by what I did in the 98% of the time I didn’t have it.”

In a world chasing spotlight stats - followers, scores, salaries - glue guys focus on what really moves teams forward: effort, humility, and trust.

✅ 5 Habits of a Glue Guy (or Glue Girl)

1. Win the 98% - Battier touched the ball only 2% of the time with the Miami Heat. The rest of the time he was diving for loose balls, making the right rotation, setting the tone on defense. Championship teams are built in the margins.

2. Elevate others - Battier said, “What am I doing to increase the collective potential of the group around me?” Glue guys obsess over team success. It’s not about them - it’s about making others better.

3. Embrace the unseen - Battier once said, “No one runs into the team store asking for the jersey of the guy with the most floor burns.” But those plays win games. Every team needs someone who values what doesn’t show up on the stat sheet.

4. Lead with humility and confidence - According to Adam Grant, humble teammates - especially humble and confident ones - consistently raise team performance. They’re grounded, self-aware, and focused on contribution over credit.

5. Be a teammate everywhere - Buzz Williams said, “You're on a lot of teams - your family, your class, your job, your relationships. Always be a great teammate.” It’s not a title. It’s an identity. Glue guys don’t switch it off when they leave the gym.

📚 So what can we learn from this?

• Find one invisible habit that impacts others.
  Take charges. Pick up trash. Call out screens. Thank your teammates.
  Look for what’s missing and fill the gap.

• Elevate the energy, not just the execution.
  Be the first to celebrate someone else. Be the one who communicates through adversity. Set the standard, even when no one else is.

• Anchor your identity in “we.”
  Glue guys know: belonging comes from contribution. They serve, they sacrifice, and they raise the bar for everyone around them.

➡️ If you're interested in more…This week inside Premium, we're diving into the most important shift happening in sports you’re probably not hearing about. We’re breaking down:

• The #1 question that I am consulting on with coaches today

• A simple 3-step process to building a team of “glue guys”

• 7 secrets to use and learn from Michael Jordan

→ Start your free trial today!

🧠Questions to Ask Others You’re Leading

• If you’re a manager or coach: Who are the glue players on your team and do they know their value? Are you rewarding stat-sheet plays or culture-building ones?

• If you’re a parent or leader: Are you teaching the value of contribution over credit? What kind of teammate are you modeling at home, work, or in your relationships?

• If you’re an athlete: How are you impacting the game when the ball isn’t in your hands? Are you showing up with consistency, communication, and care?

Final Takeaway: The most valuable players learn how to win in the margins, elevate others, and lead when no one is watching. It’s about becoming a daily difference maker.

Sources:

1. An NBA Champion’s Advice on Being a Top Teammate | Shane Battier | TED

2. The best teams have this secret weapon | Adam Grant

Favorite Posts I Found This Week

Free Mental Fitness Links 👇

For coaches and leaders:

• 5 mindset shifts every parent and leader must make

• The ONE word Jay Wright used to embed their culture into everything they do

• Dabo Swinney starts every season with this simple reminder

• 7 realities that all leaders face

For athletes and performers:

• 5 habits of Jerry Rice that made him the GOAT

• 6 things to know about accountability

• Coach K’s 4-part framework for resilience

• Chip Kelly on mental toughness

What I am reading and listening to:

📚 Book: Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by General Stanley McChrystal

🎥 Video: Athletes, Leadership, and the Transformative Power of Sports - Mark Messier

🎧Podcast: Episode 215: Culture Over Circumstance: Inside Iowa State’s Rise With Matt Campbell | Never Stop Getting Better
 

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