The Importance of a Team and Avoiding Seclusion
teams and communities Drive Results
When did isolation and a false sense of independence become the societal norm that it seems to be today? I have my own opinions of this just as I’m sure you all have yours. Regardless of what we conclude the factors that led us here are, the reality is, many of us have taken an “every person for themselves” stance. There’s only one problem with this. No matter what aspect of life you’re trying to employ this flying-solo tactic in, it’s not sustainable. Humans are tribal in nature. We have an instinctual desire to belong, gain understanding, and be understood.
I think we can all agree that most of the arduous tasks we face in life are accomplished easier when we don’t try to tackle them alone. When was the last time you saw someone build a house, run a big business, play in the NFL, or fight a war on terror by themselves? Rome wasn’t built by one person, and neither did Washington defeat the world’s greatest military without a community of supporters following him. While the world is full of highly effective individuals, the greatest of feats are done within a community, brotherhood, team, or whatever designation you give those that you surround yourself with.
Cut Off from The World
While personal space, moments of solitude, or a weekend away are all essential to keeping our sanity, we inevitably revert to our natural instincts and return to community. Some will try to counter this claim and insist that they’re an outlier, that they function just fine and even excel when they’re alone. Unfortunately, it will often be those same lone wolves checking their notifications, how many views they get on social media, or becoming fixated with whatever the media is trying to sell them. They’re stubborn as a mule on the outside but still searching for connection, like-mindedness, or attention on the inside. While there are certainly successful people who function well unaccompanied, their successes still can’t be solely attributed to themselves alone. At one point or another, that person was mentored, influenced, or assisted in other ways that enabled them to be where they are now.
The Community Element Isn’t Always Physical
It’s easy to get stuck envisioning a community as something physical, but we often overlook the mental and emotional strengths we gain from being part of a community. I’ll use the above-mentioned lone wolf as an example. Physically, that person may function well in a solitary environment. However, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually, they still require support. On the reverse side of that, you may have someone who excels at resilience and prefers to be disconnected from others, yet physically is reliant on the assistance of someone else. Neither of these individuals is greater or less than the other; those are just their character traits, but the point is, nobody is completely self-sufficient forever. We need a community!
Personalities and team Building
Many different factors play a role in how our character or personalities are shaped. Have you ever applied for a new job where one of the preliminary requirements was completing a personality test? As intriguing as these often are, there is a very important reason why many employers choose to collect this information. You guessed it, because a business is nothing more than a community, and that community functions best when comprised of characters that complement each other. However, our employers and coworkers aren’t the only community we belong to. Families, friend groups, church groups, and various sports are just a few other examples of communities we’re often an element of. One thing I find odd is that for many people, the only community they have that truly functions well is their work community. Why is that? One reason, of course, is that an employer builds the community that will be the most productive, and the community is monetarily compensated for that production. Be that as it may, we also build or choose those other communities within our lives? We choose our spouses, we choose our friends, and we choose our church groups. Despite having complete control of who we partner with, the world is full of dysfunctional homes, conditional friendships, defeated sports teams, and unthriving communities within the church.
We hear it all the time, people change. This change can occur over many years, or it can happen abruptly because of outside influence. To be frank, the reason for change is irrelevant. What’s important is that as members of a community, we learn to be dynamic in how we function and adapt to meet the needs of that organization. In football, if the wide receivers are locked down and the passing game is suffering, the coach may rely on the running back or tight end to move the ball downfield. If your unit is out on patrol and your platoon sergeant goes down, one of the squad leaders will have to step up and lead.
The transitions made to execute the plan are accomplished because all members of the organization understand the mission and what needs to be done to accomplish it. The path taken to get to the finish line may have to vary depending on the community’s strengths and weaknesses; however, the result should be the same. My spouse and I have a shared vision or goal for what we want to achieve in life and the direction we want to lead our family. Does that mean that to accomplish our dreams, we must stay the same as we were when we got married? Of course not. The expectation for her never to change would be unrealistic. Instead, we must continue to grow and develop together. As our personalities, strengths, and weaknesses change, so must our approach and the steps we take to move our family unit forward.
Adaptability in a Transitioning Community
How often do we hear couples say, “he’s not the man he was when I met him” or “she just doesn’t get me anymore”? It’s become almost cliché at this point, but I believe the people saying those things truly mean them, and rightfully so. He probably isn’t the man he was when you met him, and she probably doesn’t understand you anymore if the two of you haven’t homogeneously developed. Unless the man you used to know has gone off and become something that goes against your moral or ethical code, the two of you have a responsibility to adapt and work through those changes together. Ideally, your community should be progressing, not just staying the same. When one person falls behind, the others pick them up. When morale is low or the direction your community is heading begins to go astray, someone needs to take the lead. As our communities change, so will roles, responsibilities, and how we navigate the field together. Just remember, be adaptable and complementary to the traits of those around you.
Selflessness and Sacrifice
President Harry Truman once said, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” In a society of seclusion, where everyone feels the need to fend for themselves, selflessness is hard to come by. When the community wins, every member of that community gets to rejoice in victory, but that victory is dependent on the entirety of the workforce contributing to the common goal. I’ll train a person who lacks ability but possesses the will to triumph, over a super-soldier who has all the capabilities a community needs but abstains from group effort out of selfishness. Community work requires us to sacrifice selfishness and personal wants. In doing so, we can lift up the whole group and share the spoils of our accomplishments.
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