We are all in this together.
Until we’re not.
I first remember this slogan becoming popular when my adult children were devoted fans of High School Musical. A few years ago I was gifted a t-shirt designed by a luxury athleisure wear company that embraced this slogan during the COVID pandemic.
We Are All In This Together is a powerful invitation and yet one we struggle mightily to realize.
For many years I led a community in Chicago that served tens of thousands of people around the world. It felt like Utopia.
In one of the country’s most segregated cities you would reliably find unexpected encounters across lines of race, class, age, gender, and orientation. People with very different lives and world views would come together to increase their own self awareness. It was a vibrant and gorgeous tapestry of human beings. We would explore the human condition and work to make sense of whatever current moment society was navigating.
And then Teagate happened.
We offered tea and coffee service following our programming. One of our regular community members felt strongly that we did not have the “right” selection of herbal teas. And it became a thing.
I was an overextended leader. I thought it was my responsibility to make every one of our constituents happy and wow, did I try. It turns out that trying to make everyone happy is a massive bleed of energy and not my responsibility.
Say that out loud to yourself:
“I am not responsible for other people’s happiness.”
I took the tea critique personally. And Teagate was born.
Leading a diverse community of people gave me regular practice in developing an awareness of how to lead from transformation and not get taken out by fear.
Five big lessons I’ve learned the hard way:
- Human beings are hardwired to look for problems.
- Don’t get sucked in on drama.
- Keep it moving.
- Your energy is needed for big ideas.
- Raise your line of sight.
No one person is ever responsible for the success or failure of a marriage, a business, a project, a country, or an initiative.
We Are All In This Together is true, whether we like it or not.
Transformed organizations and cultures realize the potency of collaboration, belonging, and focusing on where they’re headed, not just where they are. Transformational leaders create a sense of allyship with their team members, partners, and clients. They realize that being for one another versus against one another always produces greater outcomes, learning, and more fun.
As you focus your attention on working together remember to:
- Keep the vision alive—regularly articulate where you’re going. People want to be excited about what they’re giving their energy to. If your vision doesn’t do that, consider yourself warned.
- Align your daily, weekly, and monthly activities to be reflective of your values, the things you say matter to you and your team most. This makes it easy to cut waste and emphasize importance.
- Celebrate milestones as a reminder that you’re making progress. None of us like to feel stuck.
Helping people work well together is a massive benefit to the objectives of any organization. Transformational cultures make a difference not only within the organization but more broadly on the planet.
If we can learn to work well together and trust that we really are for each other there are few challenges and obstacles that we cannot transcend.
I’d love to support your team in developing skills that reduce drama, increase success, and provide greater satisfaction. Let’s look at what really matters to you and your team and develop norms that support a transformed culture. Schedule time with me to now.
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