Teamwork and leadership clarity can transform how teams act, support each other and take responsibility. Last week’s European Athletics Championships offered a striking example of this in action, when Jolien Boumkwo stepped into a race she hadn’t run for more than a decade, not for personal gain, but for her team.

“I’m really happy that this race symbolised something, the team spirit, the team playership, and that people from different situations really see it and it connects people,” Jolien reflected afterwards.

Jolien is a 12-time national champion, but she is not a 100m hurdler. She is a shot putter. As she said herself: “I’m not made for hurdling.” Even so, she volunteered — knowing her performance would never compare to trained hurdlers, because she understood what was at stake. Completing the race would secure vital points for Belgium as they fought to stay in the top division of European athletics.

“It would be a pity if we lost by one point,” she said. “So I thought: I’ll take this on my account, just go for it, and enjoy every moment.”

Her decision reveals something profound about courage, humility and the choices great team players make.

The Choice to Be a Team Player

Teamwork isn’t simply working alongside others. It’s a deliberate choice to contribute to a shared mission even when the task is uncomfortable, unfamiliar or high-risk. It’s humility in action.

When Jolien stepped onto the track, she knew exactly what her role was:

• She didn’t need to win.

• She didn’t need to impress.

• She just needed to finish.

That clarity turned a pressure-filled moment into something joyful, a rare outcome when stepping far outside your comfort zone.

Her story shows that teamwork and leadership clarity begin with understanding what matters most in a moment, and what contribution the team truly needs.

Clarity Unlocks Contribution

Everyone watching understood the context. They knew Jolien wasn’t a hurdler. They knew this wasn’t her discipline. Because the expectations were clear, people celebrated the bravery behind her decision rather than scrutinising her performance.

Her 32-second finish — compared to the winner’s 13 seconds — wasn’t a failure.
It was leadership, it was service, it was team spirit at its best.

Without clarity, the moment could easily have been misinterpreted. With clarity, it became a story of admiration and respect.

What This Means for Our Teams

When teams understand each other’s strengths, limits and intentions, everything changes.
Clarity creates empathy.
Empathy creates psychological safety.
Psychological safety enables courage.

If Someone takes on a task outside their strengths simply because the team needs it, that act deserves recognition. It strengthens connection, trust and shared purpose.

This is why teamwork and leadership clarity are essential building blocks for any high-performing team.

They help people:

• Step forward rather than step back

• stretch beyond their comfort zone

• Act for the collective good

• Accept short-term discomfort for long-term goals

Strong teams thrive not because everybody excels individually, but because everybody is willing to serve the mission.

Building Teams That Think and Act This Way

Jolien’s story is a reminder that when clarity, empathy and purpose align, extraordinary behaviour becomes possible.

If you want to explore how to build teams that act with intention, courage and alignment, we can help.

Get in touch to access our leadership and team development resources:
liam.mooney@icecreates.com