The Energy of Belief: The True Fuel Behind Team Success

One thing I’ve consistently noticed across every successful business I’ve had the privilege to work with—whether it was leading the publishing and marketing for the UK’s largest men’s lifestyle brand, which at its peak commanded an astonishing 70% market share, or building a marketing team from scratch that went on to contribute a staggering 88% of monthly revenue—is the unmistakable energy that surrounds success.

But that energy isn’t just about hitting KPIs or outperforming the competition. It’s something deeper, more intangible. It’s belief.

Teams need to believe they can be successful. And that kind of belief isn’t a switch you can flick or a topping you can sprinkle on. It’s the foundational ingredient baked into the very culture of high-performing teams. Without belief, strategy falls flat. With belief, teams transcend.

Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.” Belief is the spark. It’s the seed from which innovation, resilience, and greatness grow. When a team truly believes—in the mission, in each other, in the possibility of success—they become unstoppable.

At Time Inc., we used to joke that getting the operation moving was like turning a warship. It took time, effort, and serious collaboration. But once it was in motion, it was firing on all cylinders. That momentum came not just from systems or scale, but from shared belief. We embedded customer-centric thinking so deeply into our culture, it became second nature—like an extra function in our DNA. That is why Time led in so many markets.

Phil Jackson, the legendary NBA coach who led teams to 11 championships, once said, “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” When belief exists at every level—individually and collectively—magic happens. People step up. They take risks. They cover for one another. They raise the bar.

Another quote I love comes from Simon Sinek: “A team is not a group of people who work together. A team is a group of people who trust each other.” And that trust comes from being seen, heard, and valued. It comes from leadership that listens and creates space for people to bring their full selves to work.

That’s what I look for when I inherit teams. I listen. I observe. I look for signs of belief, for that subtle but powerful energy that says, “We’ve got this.” If it’s missing, I make it my first priority to instil it. Because I know from experience that belief is the beginning of everything.

And belief isn’t blind optimism—it’s a mindset backed by action. When people feel happy, safe, and empowered, belief follows. When they know their work matters, that their contributions are recognised, and that their voices are heard, that’s when belief takes root.

As Vince Lombardi put it, “Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilisation work.”

You believe you can succeed.You believe you are the best.You believe you're going to win.

And when that belief becomes a shared truth, it transforms into momentum. That momentum becomes culture. And culture? That’s where success lives—not just temporarily, but sustainably.