It goes without saying, but saying it is important – One is too small a number to achieve greatness. Individually, we can make a change in our world. But if that work increases, you will need others to keep the momentum moving. That is when transformation begins. Entrepreneur and LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman states, No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you are playing a solo game, you will always lose out to a team. If you are ready to play on a transformational team, then follow these simple truths.
We Is More Important Me
Pastor Chuck Swindoll wrote a number of years ago that no one person is a chain. Each one is a link. Take away one link and the chain is broken. No one person is a team. Each are players. In short, we need each other. It has been said that TEAM stands for Together-Everyone-Accomplishes-More. As soon as you decide that you want to make a difference, you now must conclude to make a difference with people.
Who Is More Important Than How
We must take our passion to make a difference with people to another level. Not just any person, but people who also want to make a difference. Who is far more important than how when it comes to transformation. If in fact making a difference is the goal, then logically everyone must work in the same direction for the same goal. Who should you team up with to transform your world? Start by locating people that are already in process with what you envision. Also it may be helpful for you to start gathering people from your own network of people then expand it beyond as needed.
Stanley Milgram in the 1960’s developed the “six-degrees” of separation between any two people that desire to connect for a cause. With social media that has been refined to 3.2 degrees of separation. Think about that fact. You are closer to key people than you realize!
What Unites Us Is Greater Than What Divides Us
One of the key questions when aligning yourself with others is “Do we have a values match?” When your values match each other, you will experience alignment, unity, and effectiveness. Otherwise, you will end in frustration and conflict. Benjamin Franklin, at the signing of the Constitution stated, “We must all hang together, or we will hang separately.” They shared a common bond for Liberty – that is what held them together. John F. Kennedy stated, “Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring the problems which divide us.”
What I Have Is More Important Than What I Lack
Leverage the strengths you already have, to benefit others. Poet Markham states; There is a destiny that makes us brothers; None goes his way alone: All that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own.
All individuals have a place in which their contribution is maximized. You have a unique role to take and unique contributions to make if you can discover them.
Collaboration Is More Important Than Cooperation
As a nation we are currently in a season of hostility, division, and partisanship. People would rather draw lines and throw stones than engage in conversation and try to find solutions. Simple cooperation is nothing more than unity for the sake of unity. Collaboration is unity for the sake of a shared vision. Cooperation says “Let’s get along or else nothing will get done!” Collaboration says “Let’s work together because this has to be done!” This is far more than a political wish list agenda or social re-engineering or Corporate take-over.
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