The Teamwork of Leadership

If I could see into the future, I would love to read what historians will write about this time in history. What will be the things that little kids will struggle to believe and leave adults shaking their heads? In two hundred years, will humanity be surprised to know that until 2020 most Americans left their homes every day and drove to work at an office building? Will they be stunned to hear that when it snowed children got the day off rather than participating in online school? How will they comprehend the fact that we used to believe it was a good idea to let someone blow out candles on a birthday cake and then share the cake so everyone could enjoy that person’s germs!

Many interesting stories will be written about this period of time.

One part of our culture that is morphing at the speed of light is how we create and consume entertainment. Gone are the days when television shows were produced by one of three major networks, and we no longer have to wait to watch a feature film at a local movie theater.

Instead, companies like Netflix are producing content and distributing it on their own platforms. As result, I have found myself binge-watching and exploring new shows. In the past, some of these shows might not have drawn my full attention. However, the ability to stream a show allows me to pick and choose what and when I want to watch it. Consuming new content now feels very low risk to me.

One show that pulled me in during my COVID experience was Ozark. I found the character development and storylines to be very well done. When the finale concluded I stuck around to watch “A Farewell to Ozark” which shared the behind-the-scenes details.

I was surprised to learn that throughout the four seasons of Ozark there were a variety of people who served as Directors on the show. To me, the Director is “the leader” of the show. They are responsible for making sure all the details come together to tell a powerful story. However, they must also be cognizant of how a particular episode connects to the previous and upcoming episodes. This is a critical role in developing the larger storyline.

This realization served as a reminder of the environments where I thrive. I simply love to be with like-minded people who are willing to flow in and out of leadership roles. I want to navigate life with others who recognize the specific moments when their gifts will serve the group. Many people would call this concept co-leadership or shared leadership and I know for sure that this is where I thrive.

I like this type of culture because it subtly acknowledges that no single individual has all of the answers all of the time. Shared leadership also makes space for everyone’s gifts. This feels like an invitation for people to bring their whole self – their gifts and their needs – to a group.

Earlier this year, I was meeting with 11 college coaches who were participants in a Mastermind that I host. At this point, we had been meeting online twice a week for about five months. While I served as the facilitator, I rarely spoke more than anyone else because I saw the value that each person brought to the group.

I remember one moment that felt especially powerful to me. One of the coaches had shared a painful question that she was wrestling with, and she ask the group for some insights and wisdom. After asking the question there was a long pause that was filled only with silence. I knew at this moment everyone was taking her question to heart; people wanted to think before they spoke. But suddenly, one of the members took himself off mute and said, “I’ll go first, I know so many times others have gone first, and in doing so you have given me the space I need to collect my thoughts. Let me take one for the team; I’ll go first so others have time to think.”

He took the lead by naming and honoring the needs of the group.

Maybe this is why we are so moved when we see random acts of kindness or unexpected generosity. These are the moments when we are offering our gifts for the good of the group – or in this case – for the good of humanity.

To me, leadership is less about who THE leader is and more about understanding and leveraging the gifts you have to offer. It also means we must keep the eyes of our heart open, so we know when it is our moment to help co-lead the group by sharing our gifts.

And who knows, maybe in a few hundred years humans will be confounded at the idea that we once designated individuals as leaders rather than seeing the value that we each bring to a group. 

I’m starting to believe that healthy leadership is just another form of teamwork.

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