Teams

If there is any business lesson that past nine months has taught me, it is this; individuals are never individually or collectively as strong as a team.  No matter how dedicated, committed, or positively intentioned individuals might be, a team will always have more potential, greater strength and purpose.  A Yogi Berra type comment is relevant in this situation; unless a Team is a team, it is not a Team.
I find myself reflecting and realizing that as much as I think I know and understand this truth, I often forget.  In the midst of chaos, it takes courage to turn back to a team with weaknesses, history, and challenges instead of relying on what lies within.  In the midst of overwhelming stress, it takes dedication to rely on others instead of depending on the self that you know and control.  In the midst of deadlines, commitments, and deliverables, faith in others seems weaker than faith in what lies inside.  I say this believing with every fiber of my body that a team is always stronger than the alternative.
Magical things happen when people become a team.  A Presence seems to multiply the positive energy and karma that exists in every member of the team.  I am not the first one to experience this phenomena; “When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force-no one could tell where it came from.  It filled the whole building.  Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.”  (Acts 2.1-4)
In my mind, the interesting paradox lies in my lack of trust.  Perhaps there is an alternative approach.  Perhaps, I can believe in the process of working with individuals in the community.  Regardless of my unbelief, my mission can include a starting point of working with and through others.
Today is an opportunity to realize our collective potential.  A piece of heaven can exist today, here.