"as important as any of these factors"

Surely direction has to be more important?

A great team is great, but not if "we're on a road to nowhere".

And even a good (or possibly mediocre) team with a great direction, a noble goal, must be better than a great team with a dead-end direction, because people will sacrifice and put up with all kinds of politics if the cause is worthy, if there are lives on the line.