Image Credit: Pexels.com
And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.” ~ Genesis 11:6
“Everybody on a championship team doesn’t get publicity, but everyone can say he’s a champion.” ~ Earvin “Magic” Johnson
Whether you realize it or not everything of significance is accomplished through teamwork. That may be in business, in our families, at church, school, or whatever it may be. When you were born you had to be nurtured by your elders to become the person that you are today. To get an education you had the support of your teachers in school. We were born to be dependent on one another so that when we work together we are able to do great things which we cannot do as individuals.
However, teamwork doesn’t just happen. Some people do not realize its value because their temperament is just to do everything on their own. Those that do realize the value understand that when people come together their potential is big enough to make a dent on the world. Just what are some of the benefits of teamwork?
1. Overcoming obstacles
Being part of a team maximizes everyone’s strengths and minimizes weaknesses hence creating capacity to deal with any challenge that comes the team’s way. I came across a quote by Lyndon Johnson where he said, “There are no problems that we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.” I could not have put it better than this. Teamwork is more evident in sports, whatever sport it may be. I’m a soccer fan and I recall the Arsenal FC team (England) of the 2003/4 season that won the Premier League title without once tasting defeat. That was by no means an easy accomplishment considering the competitive nature of top flight football. However, all the players performed really well in their roles whether it was the strikers, midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers. Everyone used their strengths for the benefit of the team which significantly minimized any weaknesses that they had. They were a perfect example of a great football team that also went on to set an unprecedented record of 49 consecutive Premier League games without defeat.
2. High Morale
Every time the team wins it boosts the confidence of every team member. The more you win as a team the bigger the belief and the higher the morale. I remember working with friends from college in an organization called The BOOST Fellowship, whose mandate is to coach young people to become leaders in their communities and add value to the people around them. We did this through projects that empowered other people to greater things. When we first started there was very little in the way of encouragement to get going with our projects. Like any successful team we had disagreements but worked out our differences. With time we understood each other better and worked more productively. Those small wins enabled us to grow from strength to strength. Any bit of good news strengthened the bond we had established and we made more progress.
3. Community
Our BOOST Fellowship team took some years to really flourish and make a dent on the world. The highlight of our journey was winning the World Cup finals where the team competed with teams from countries all over the world to present the projects we were doing. It took a long time to get there but it eventually came to pass. Even then, the accolade itself was not the big picture. The sense of belonging and being a part of something bigger than ourselves was the best thing that happened to all of us. The bond that we developed and the things we did together are the memories that will last forever. The following quote by Mr. Anonymous sums it up really well, “Even when you have played the game of your life, it’s the feeling of teamwork that you’ll remember. You’ll forget the plays, the shots, and the scores, but you’ll never forget your teammates.”
If you have been feeling lonely lately and life has not been what you want it to be it may be a good idea to get involved with something bigger than yourself. Find something you can get passionate about and work with other people to help you get there. You will realize that it’s not accomplishing the goal that will bring you the greatest satisfaction. The greatest reward will be the journey along the way.
Be all you can be!
