Seven tips from Tom Brady for being a great team player at work.

Tom Brady, with seven Super Bowl championship rings and a football career lasting over two decades, is well-versed in being a good teammate.

Last month, Nitin Nohria and Harvard Business Review shared seven tips on effective team leadership in a co-authored article.

"While most people concentrate on his performance as a quarterback, the authors argue that his contributions to the success of those around him were equally important."

While there are valuable lessons to be gleaned from Brady's career, teamwork expert Liane Davey remains skeptical about some of his advice.

"Davey, who has advised teams at Fortune 500 companies including Amazon and Walmart, tells CNBC Make It that extreme elite athletics is not always a great parallel for work that we're going to do for 40 years. While there's a lot we can learn, he believes we make a mistake in trying to equate elite professional athletics with the workplace."

Brady's recent acquisition of a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders demonstrates the importance of being a good teammate in the workplace, as shown by Davey.

Appreciate colleagues with different goals

"I started recognizing the contributions of players in overlooked positions not only to acknowledge their worth but also to emphasize the importance of acknowledging every player's contributions," Brady stated. "A successful team requires everyone to feel appreciated, and it is the responsibility of team leaders to ensure that this happens."

Davey concurs with Brady that valuing unrecognized coworkers is crucial, but she suggests that the suggestion is more suitable for the workplace if it is phrased as acknowledging colleagues with varying objectives.

Davey claims that there is an inherent tension between roles on a work team, even if everyone is invested in the overall success of a product or company, what that may look like may differ when working across departments.

Davey says that a salesperson may desire to personalize a product to satisfy their customer's requirements, but this could clash with the operations team's focus on product quality, potentially conflicting with the product builder, Davey.

Davey suggests that good teammates should not only be aware and considerate of individuals with varying objectives, but should also value their colleagues' unique goals.

Acknowledging and valuing the opinions of minority team members during meetings can improve relationships and enhance team performance, according to Davey.

Be explicit about effort and understand your company culture

Brady initially stated that he was part of a competitive group of players who aimed to outdo each other when he first joined the Patriots. He emphasized the importance of setting a standard of 100% effort, which included being the first to arrive at the weight room and drinking the most water. Brady explained that in this culture, they held themselves to a higher level of accountability.

Davey argues that the advice of fostering a culture of 100% effort may not be realistic for "mere mortals" who work year-round.

Davey believes that 100% commitment isn't always sustainable or healthy, according to him.

Davey emphasizes the importance of clear communication when it comes to teamwork and teammates. He suggests that teams should establish when 100% effort is required and when it's acceptable to ease off. Additionally, team members should be transparent with each other about their needs and when they may need to reduce their effort.

It is crucial to comprehend a company's culture during the hiring process, according to Davey. She mentions companies like Tesla that have a culture of intense work versus those that may have a more relaxed approach.

Frank feedback is important

Davey emphasizes the significance of providing honest feedback in the workplace, as Brady does.

"Having my teammates know that I cared about them allowed me to give criticism without making them feel attacked," Brady stated. "As a society, we've shifted away from having those open discussions."

According to Davey, great teammates hold themselves accountable without blaming others in a "gotcha sense," and instead provide candid and transparent feedback about how individual actions affect the team.

Davey claims that high-performing teams thrive on tension, healthy conflict, and discomfort to enhance their overall performance.

Connect with your teammates

In May, Brady and his new team went to the Bahamas to bond through beach games, shared meals, and get to know each other better. Later in September, Brady began his broadcasting career with Fox Sports.

"The camaraderie we developed and the improved understanding of ourselves as individuals will enhance our group performance this fall," he stated in Harvard Business Review.

Connecting with teammates can build trust and support efficient decision making by fostering shared experiences, understanding each other as humans and encouraging risk taking, according to Davey.

"Better innovation and engagement are the outcomes of risk-taking, which fosters trust," Davey remarks. "I agree with Tom on that."

Davey emphasizes the significance of acknowledging that not all individuals can connect beyond work hours due to personal obligations. Offering opportunities for interaction during work hours, such as a quick chat at the coffee machine or an after-hours event, can promote inclusivity and preserve team unity.

In sports, objectives are clear and straightforward, but in the workplace, goals and priorities can differ, leading to conflict and complexity. Teams must adapt to changing strategies and environments, and great team members must continually reassess their roles and how they contribute to the organization's goals.

""While it's beneficial to seek knowledge from other experiences, we must be cautious not to oversimplify or apply a standard to the 1% of the 1% of the 1%," Davey advises."

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