One of the basic needs of human nature is the need to be included. We want to be encouraged and valued by a greater whole. We were created to be in community. We are stronger in community. The Colonel said, “Everyone wants to feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves. It gives them a purpose and the ability to feel useful.”
This natural tendency doesn’t disappear when we step into our careers. Even solopreneurs join associations, co-ops, and mastermind groups to share their insights, seek guidance, and receive validation.
A friend of mine, who is a former pastor, once said in jest, “If you want to get a congregation moving and serving, go into debt and take on a big capital project.” When there is a shared vision and everyone understands it can’t be accomplished without each person’s effort, amazing things happen. Our nation has rarely come together in a manner even close to the communal effort that occurred during World War II, with everyone making sacrifices for the war effort and supporting one another emotionally. The only thing that has come close since then is the sense of community felt immediately following the attacks of 9-11-01.
You see, when people come together to address a big challenge—bigger than anyone can handle alone—leaders emerge, new talents are discovered, and everyone finds their role.
The Colonel’s time in the Air Force was entirely a collaboration in support of a more significant cause. His career was wholly focused on leading teams toward results that would make those deployed in harm’s way more accurate, more effective, and safer, so they could come home to their families. That was a pretty big cause, and he made sure each member of his staff knew how important their work was. They knew they were a part of something bigger than themselves and their own personal needs. Dad was a master at inclusion. No matter rank, age, or gender, there was a place for you in his action plan.
He infused those experiences into the way he raised his family. We were a team, each one of us with a distinct purpose. We always felt that our contribution was vital. Little girls can’t lift a crankshaft, but we could be ready to hand our Daddy a tool when he needed it while he tinkered with the car. That job was important. He couldn’t do it without us (or so I thought at the time).
You can be successful alone, with an entirely solo effort, but you will not be significant that way. Being significant requires community. It requires understanding the universal need everyone has to belong. Significant leaders find a way to create a community and allow everyone to find their role in that community.
Read Lauren’s Whitepaper on The Nine Essentials of Significant Leadership.