‘Are you able to work well with others?’
I’m sure you’ve heard that question before. Perhaps during an interview, or while you were at school. Don’t worry though – I’m not expecting you to answer!!
Of course, the answer the person would be looking for is a ‘yes’. After all, teamwork makes the dream work. For some people, however, it can seem much easier to keep your head down and focus on your own work instead.
So – in case you feel teamwork is not a skill you need to work on – I’m going to disprove this idea, by looking at birds.
I know you might think I’ve lost the plot here, but hear me out!
The V Formation
You have probably seen the V formation – when birds tend to fly in a V shape, almost like an arrow.
For a long time, scientists wondered why exactly they flew like this, and how they were able to do it so efficiently.
I won’t bore you with all the biological stuff, but to put it simply, the birds move quicker and stronger when flying together. With the way that they all flap their wings, they’re pretty much tracing each other’s tracks, and can even adjust their speed to match each other’s wing movements.
Think of it like walking through snow – it’s much more efficient and quicker to trace someone else’s’ footprints rather than making your own snow path.
Not only that, but scientists also wanted to know how the birds learned this. At first, they thought it might take until the birds’ adulthood, but when they watched birds growing up together, they noticed that they were able to learn from each other.
By now, you’ve probably guessed where I’m going with this. Turns out our feathered friends are a great example of how to learn and achieve more when working with others!
The Truth About Leadership
For most teams, there is usually a leader, right? A leader should motivate their team, recognise each members qualities, set the direction and help move everyone in the right direction.
That’s how it works for the birds, since they will all end up following the leader at the front (who changes on a regular basis).
But whilst being a leader is important, it isn’t the most important. Because without a good team, there is no point for a good leader. You need both.
A team without a leader will lack clarity and direction. A leader without a team is never going to get as far as their true potential.
Humans need collaboration, we naturally thrive the same way birds do when we work as groups.
Finding the Right Team
Now here’s the thing – maybe you’ve already decided that you want to be a leader. Or maybe you’d prefer to let someone else in your team take that role. But the truth is, there doesn’t have to be just one leader, there can be multiple!
As with the birds, the best teams in the modern workplace have multiple leaders taking the lead on different aspects of the work or project. A top down leadership style is actually quite old school, and it has been proven that change is implemented more effectively with a bottom up approach.
The really important factors are communication, and team values. If you can bring both of those to a team, and mix that with empowerment then you can guarantee success.
Speaking of team work and collaboration, one place where women like to work together and support each other is the Live Love Laugh Lounge. If you’d like to find people to help you flourish, then reach out to me at cheryl@cheryl-chapman.com and we can help get you started by joining us!
At the end of the day, success is a team effort. After all, what’s a speech without an audience?
Cheryl xx
PS – The genetic blueprint really helps with understanding who you are and what you are here to do – fill in this 2-minute questionnaire and I will send you your own ‘genetic blueprint’ which will help you understand yourself so you can begin to find your why! You will find it here.
PPS – If the link doesn’t work for any reason (sometimes technology has a bad day) then email me on cheryl@cheryl-chapman.com and I will sort it out for you!
PPS – If you liked this blog and want to read more blogs surrounding female empowerment, you can find last week’s here: ‘How to Start Your Year Off With a BANG!‘
“I’m on a global mission to help 10 million disheartened souls, who are at a crossroads, to STOP asking why me? And START saying why not me!”