We vs. Me. Maybe you’ve heard the phrase, “We is better than me.”
You know, the concept of collaboration, team work, working together vs. doing it all by yourself? It sounds really nice doesn’t it? Easier said than done.
Lately I’ve been thinking that the shared vision and action of a group of people feels very un-American to me. “WE” might be better than “ME” but here in the United States, we have been trained to think and act more about ourselves than the team. I know I have. I have somehow caught that success, real success, is about me excelling.
In some cases succeeding is about competition… I am better than others.
In other situations it becomes about admiration… I am affirmed for what I do.
Either way, success is measured by being great at what you do and getting acknowledged and rewarded for it. That is in part, the American dream. Anything is possible.
I can do it!
But here is what I am learning: the ego hit of accomplishment is not the same as success. What I mean is, if WE succeed (not ME alone), I might not get all the accolades. I can accomplish a lot on my own, but I end up tired and alone. How successful is that?
The other thing I am learning about “WE” vs. “ME” is that the obstacle to working as a team is me. Or at least it has been in the past. I am currently in a process of repenting. You see, I have discovered that even though I want to work collaboratively and get buy-in from my team, my actions are to plan and take action on my own. And THEN complain that I am doing too much work myself. Repentance for me looks like letting others join me in thinking and planning as well as in using their skills to help us succeed. Repentance looks like getting buy-in from my colleagues and those I lead.
Leadership, as it turns out, is really about the success of the team.
If I can really value and take action in the “WE”, I might actually grow the “ME”.
And who knows, maybe I will actually succeed.
How are you at getting buy-in? Who are the people in your sphere of influence you can benefit from getting buy-in from? What have you accomplished, or could you, with them? Let me know your thoughts below.
And, if you would like specific ideas on how to be more effective in getting buy-in with the members of your team, I encourage you to join the conversation as an Intentional Institute Professional Member. Take a look at this free sample here.
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