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Life is a team sport
One of the problems with taking charge of your life is that by focusing on yourself you may inadvertently shut yourself off from a big and important segment of life-your team. Living a remarkable life is a team sport. It just isn’t possible to play alone. Quarterbacks are important to football teams but so is the lineman who keeps the quarterback from being sacked. When you set out to create an outrageous lifestyle, the focus is on you. It’s all about what you want; who you want to be and what you need to do to make that lifestyle happen. It has to be that way because you are the only thing you can control. It is necessary to push yourself and focus your efforts because you know better than anyone else just how much you need to improve. And only you can change you.
Don’t forget the Team
This self focus encourages us to forget the team. Self focus can be destructive to your goal, if you forget that you are part of a team – or need to develop a team to in order to win the game. You probably know who your team is. It is your family, your friends and your business associates. Do you know what is important to them? Do you know what they need from you to help them get those goals? If your only focus is yourself, you may not know what they need from you or if you do, it may not be on your list of priorities.
People choose their leaders
Leadership is a complicated process. You don’t decide. You become a leader when people decide to follow. They won’t follow you just because the org chart says you are in charge. They won’t follow you it you lead them someplace dangerous just for your own glory. They will follow a leaders they trust to look out for the entire team- not just themselves.
Sometimes your lead from the back
In my life, the key member of my team is my wife. We are very different people and that limits some of the life possibilities. There are things that I would like to do that my team will not follow. But the things that we both want are more possible because we work as a team to get them. We each have our activities- the things we do well and love and we can do those things with full passion because the other will provide the support and foundation to be fully engaged. Because we are a team, sometimes we are the lead and sometimes we support the team. Sometimes a leader leads best by supporting and encouraging.
In a society obsessed with self, this is an important message to repeat.
If you think about it, there is virtually nothing you can do by yourself that is a positive. For an act or attitude or behavior to be a positive, others must be impacted. For that moment they are part of your team. Without them whatever you have just done doesn’t matter.
Even being nasty doesn’t work if there aren’t others to receive it!
Bob Lowry’s last Blog Post ..Dont Die With Your Music Still In You
Bob,
That’s something I didn’t even think of. You can’t even be nasty by yourself. I need to digest this a bit. You are making me think. It can be painful.
I’m going to apologise first Ralph. Don’t take this personally. Actually this is a compliment so you won’t. I want your opinion. The reason I thought I should apologise is that I didn’t read your post.
I only worked this out today. It’s fresh, so might need more work on it. That’s why I would like your opinion. I value it.
Facebook and Twitter are for women. Blogs are for blokes, but what worried me was the following bit. That seemed incestuous at first? I mean making money from your friends isn’t nice. But making money with your friends is beautiful. That’s why blogs are for blokes, and Facebook and Twitter are for women. Women don’t understand beauty. They appreciate it. But they don’t understand it. That’s why the best artists are blokes. See what I mean?
John
Blogger
John McNally@Blogging for Pleasure and Profit’s last Blog Post ..MUSE
John,
Don’t worry about reading the post. As my son tells me, I’m a comment whore.
We have all seen them Ralph, the greedy money grabbing individuals who are only interested in ME, ME, ME.
I am convinced they can never be really happy, when with a little sharing and teamwork they would be more rounded individuals.
A lot of the really great business men and leaders had a philanthropic attitude towards their employees and others, Andrew Carnegie, Bill Gates and even the movie star Paul Newman.
Bill
Ashton-under-Lyne, UK
Bill Murney’s last Blog Post ..Even More Beer
Very True Bill. Success follows those who give.