In the early 90s, a coworker named Dan conscientiously told us that he would be happy to help us with "our" work, but only after he finished "his work" because he won't put his reputation at risk for us.

At the time, I was working with almost everyone else on the team on "their" work while trying to finish "my" work. It was before we understood teaming, when everyone thought in "individual contributor" terms, but I had already been on two excellent real teams.

Dan wasn't *wrong*, and I wasn't *right*. We were operating from different systems and mindsets. Dan had a reason to work hard to prove his competence due to a diversity issue in the org, and he was playing the hand he was dealt masterfully.

But ultimately, the team only worked when we worked together, joining on issues and even sometimes doing set based solution work. The best solution didn't always get chosen, even.

Dan was eventually transferred off the team, because the "selfishness" (so-called) created a lot of hard feelings. Individual Contributors are not so welcome in a teaming environment. We pull together, or we pull apart.

Ironic, because he was more outgoing and friendly and extroverted.
I'm an extreme introvert.
But I'd been on the kind of teams he hadn't, and we were at cross-purposes; when teaming won over individual-ing he found he was winning the wrong game. I'm still a little sad about it.