03/08/2023
The PowerPoint slide read “Alone you go fast. Together we go far.” I have heard those words before which are an abbreviated version of the above African Proverb, but I had never been touched by them in the way that was this particular time. It was one of those moments that are so powerful, they stay with you forever. It was still very early in the morning in South Walton Beach, FL (at least very early for someone on vacation) and one of my favorite people in the world was in front of the class introducing his students to the daunting program that they signed up for. I have been talking and texting Ric for years over the phone but have never met him and I finally had a chance to do so but it would require waking up at 4:15 a.m. so I could catch the only ride headed out to the training grounds but it was never a question, I did not want to miss this opportunity.
The class that he was giving was a 24 hour long butt kicking called “Developing High Performance”, and second to meeting Ric, this was something that I was so excited to get to see. Just watching the Tactical Resiliency Training cadre before class started was an awesome thing, you could truly see how much they loved and cared for each other. I was almost intimidated by the atmosphere (ok I definitely was) and then I read those words, “Alone you go fast. Together we go far.” How blessed am I to not only have a job that allows me to be a part of a team atmosphere every day on shift but it is also a job that creates opportunities for you to go outside of your organization and be a part of a team and a mission that’s even bigger than you could have ever imagined.
Unfortunately, I had to speak later that afternoon so my time with this amazing team was much shorter than I would have liked it to be but in just 7 hours I left with the joy of meeting someone I care dearly for, many more new friends that I can’t wait to get to know better, some really important knowledge that I can share with others, and admiration for those that have found the beautiful balance between personal strength and vulnerability. Because of that balance, I also left deeply inspired by the instructors. They were by outward appearance very strong and confident people which of course catches your attention but as I saw them open up about very personal situations to this group of 17 students that they just met, that was the most powerful moment of all.
They have figured out what so many others struggle to ever see, that being the importance that humility, vulnerability, and connection play in creating an unstoppable team. Yes there are other important details as well but without those 3 being present whatever success a team has will be very short lived because there isn’t anything deep enough to sustain it for very long. Humility, vulnerability, and connection are the root system of a team. The better a team gets at developing and practicing these 3 things the deeper and wider the roots grow which helps them to stand tall and unharmed when faced with adversity and struggles that topple other teams.
How well is your team doing in the development and implementation of humility, vulnerability, and connection? Better yet how are you doing developing and implementing them? Just as those instructors were giving their students the tools to develop mental resilience, to develop resilience in a team environment we must develop and implement those 3 things. We can build a team that can weather any storm. We can build a resilient and unstoppable team.
