Why is it that teams that should be great aren't, and teams that shouldn't be great are? Why can't the business of putting together a winning team be more of a science? An equation perhaps, like, "talent multiplied by active roster equals championship rings". Anyone who has been on any team of any size knows that a single negative person can infect an entire team. That person may be brilliant, maybe even a rock star but they can destroy team chemistry.
I thought it was a stroke of genius when Team USA put together a hockey team for the recent Olympics based on talent and chemistry. Most of them knew each other, many had played together, and all of them knew that "the x factor" in sport and performance was chemistry. A shared vision, a desire to contribute in whatever way necessary, egos left at the door, and a singular desire to pull ones' weight and carry someone elses' weight when needed. Chemistry happens when each players' strengths and talents are recognized and maximized. Chemistry happens when you look around the locker room and realize that these are people of character. To use a war metaphor, people you would go to battle with.
