From “me” to “we”

In recent times, I started addressing the issue of depression and one of the major causes of depression is being found alone or in the wrong company of people—when life happens. Being a lone ranger makes you vulnerable to depression. And the older you become on earth, the clearer it would become to you that you can never make it being alone. In other words, to battle and overcome depression, you have to move from “me” to “we.”

When you are alone, little problems appear huge. In this day and time, you need to start looking for relevant people that you are going to run the race of life with. The closer we get to the end of the age, the tougher it is going to get. People are going to be clashing with severe and varied issues of life. And to navigate through them, you’d need some relevant people to stand with you, to either help solve them or help to talk you through them.

Today, individuals and companies are migrating from the town of “me” to that of “we.” It is said that the United States Marines are better equipped to confront external dangers because they fear no danger from each other. They operate in a strong Circle of Safety. To successfully confront issues of life and conquer them all, you need to also operate in a strong circle of safety. You need to start hanging out with people who are committed to you and that you are also committed to. This is how to win and win always in this day and time.

There was a story told around sixth century B.C and it is worth mentioning here: “A lion used to prowl about a field in which four oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near, they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them, he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a-quarrelling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four.” What a thought-provoking story!

The four oxen were defeated and destroyed, not because the lion was strong, but they were defeated and destroyed, because they went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. As long as they were together, the lion couldn’t destroy them. This speaks volume about how people are being defeated and destroyed today in life, leadership and business.

As long as you are going off to pasture alone in the field of business, you are definitely going to be defeated. Lone-rangers cannot make it big in business in this day and time. The first thing you need to do to become successful today is to stop ‘pasturing’ alone. You need to start moving with relevant people—people who are seeing eye-ball to eye-ball with you. Your financial strength is going to come from how well you are able to pull together with relevant people in your field of business. Do not forget this powerful truth!

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The Spartans, a warrior society in ancient Greece, were feared and revered for their strength, courage and endurance. The power of the Spartan army did not come from the sharpness of their spears, however; it came from the strength of their shields. Losing one’s shield in battle was considered the single greatest crime a Spartan could commit. “Spartans excuse without penalty the warrior who loses his helmet or breastplate in battle, but punished the loss of all citizenship rights the man who discards his shield.” And the reason was simple, a warrior carried helmet and breastplate for his own protection, but his shield for the safety of the whole line.

Likewise, the strength and endurance of a company does not come from products or services but from how well their people pull together. Every member of the group plays a role in maintaining the circle of safety and it is the leader’s role to ensure that they do. This is the primary role of leadership—to look out for those inside their circle of relationship.

I like to quickly let you understand that coming out of the mindset of being a lone-ranger to walking with relevant people—do not mean that you are going to be hanging out with people, hoping to drain them without bringing anything to the table. If what is on your mind for coming to a relationship is what you are going to gain, not what you are going to bring to the table, I do not need to be a seer to know that the relationship is not going to last long.

As we change our mindsets from “me” to “we”, we need to learn how to accept responsibility for our team members. Just as they cover your back, you are also supposed to cover their back. Everyone on the team will be investing their energy and time to guard against the dangers outside. You are to form a united-front. This is what makes everyone on the team to feel safe. And when this happens, everyone will be very free to share ideas, share intelligence and share the burdens of stress. This is the only way to survive economically in the 21st century! This is the way to overcome every issue of life in this day and time.

 

Till I come your way again next week Monday, see you where great leaders are found!