I or WE

Back on my blog after a loooooong time......... for a debate on I vs WE.

 

Personal leadership is the most studied, researched topic in American life. However romantic the idea of larger than life individual working alone and accomplishing great things may sound, the fact remains the same- seldom can success be attributed to one individual. Most of the times, it's not great men or great women, but great groups that have been responsible for success. 

 

Great groups are formed not by putting extremely talented people together. In fact, talent alone can never result in success. The fact is that even Michealangelo worked with a group of 16 artists to paint the ceiling of Sistine Chapel- one of his most famous works. The lone ranger can only achieve as much, while a great team can break all boundaries and even do the impossible. What makes a team truly great is the fact that they are bound to each other with a "Great Dream".

 

Henry Ford once said, "Coming together is a beginning, working together is progress, achieving together is success." The feeling of togetherness comes when you have a shared goal.

 

A lot of us may feel we are good team players, for we are helpful, friendly and are actively involved in the happening of the company. This is passive leadership. The real "team players" are those who not just bring out best in themselves, but have the knack to identify the true potential of their team members and change them so much that they go ahead and do the impossible.

 

Jim Collins says very clearly in his book "Good to Great"- first, get the right people on the bus, wrong people off the bus and the right people in the right seat; then figure out where to drive.  It is very important for an organization that before deciding the vision, mission, strategy, tactics and structure, decide on the people. An organization needs strong players and strong teams, not "one genius with a thousand helpers". A great leader is the one who has the guts to recruit people better than him & the capability to manage these people & keep them motivated. As Michael Jordan once said, "Talent wins games, but team work and intelligence wins championships." Great teams are based on similarity of spirit and diversity of strengths.

 

There is an old African saying- "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."