We all love a good “team player.” If we were to describe the attributes of one, we would use phrases such as “does whatever it takes” or “always willing to help.” While these are valuable qualities in specific instances, consistently stepping up to rescue a project or backfill for others may actually make you more of a villain than a hero. Here are three ways to be a good team player without burning yourself out or weakening accountability.

Explore all the options. 
When something’s gone wrong, some of us jump in because we know we can deliver on the task even if it’s not ours. Sometimes we just want to avoid the awkward silence. Before raising your hand to take on the work, try to facilitate a conversation about possible approaches or solutions without volunteering to do them or taking on their responsibility. Invite others to share their perspectives. It may lead to a better next step and avoid another task for you.

Prioritize the important over the urgent. 
There are moments where it is imperative for someone to step up for the sake of an organization and project. Just because a few team members are frenetic or angsty doesn’t mean the issue needs to be solved by you. In the cases of the “urgent but not important” issues, it might be better for the person who is struggling or who messed up to struggle a little more with some support or coaching versus swooping in to save them each time. Before stepping into an urgent situation, be sure to ask yourself, is this issue mission-critical?

Circle back for a debrief. 
If you do step into an important situation, you want to make sure that the lesson going forward isn’t, “Dan will always do it!” If something needed to be rescued, there’s a lesson for the team to carry forward. While we may all need to step in at times, the more important mission is building up the bench.

By helping the team slow down to consider all options, prioritize what matters most and learn from both successes and setbacks, you enable the entire team to rise to the level of ownership and leadership.