The Power of “WE”

 Can You trust me? Have you ever attempted the trust fall exercise? You stand on an elevated place, and then with your eyes closed and back turned; you fall backward into the arms of friends you hope you can trust to catch you. I have to tell you, every time I’ve done it, even though I know I Can trust the people who are going to catch me, I still get that queasy feeling, “What if I fall?” Trust is a tricky thing; it indeed requires a giving of yourself over to others.

What if I ask you to do it with no one there to catch you? How ridiculous, right? You would say, “No, I’m not stupid”. I would never do that because I can’t catch myself.” Hmm, think about that, “I can’t catch myself.” But isn’t that precisely what we’re doing when we refuse to be a part of the team? When we stand apart from the team to achieve for ourselves, with no concern about the team, or when we think we don’t need anyone else to accomplish the things we want, we are playing the trust fall, with only ourselves to catch us. What happens next is going to hurt.

In all seriousness, the fastest way to get hurt, fail, or not accomplish what you want is to miss the fact that you can’t do it alone. I know we like to think we can, but any grand vision or dream that has ever existed requires a team.

What Exactly is the Power of We? 

  • “The Power of WE” is the understanding that there is a massive amount of power to succeed when we understand “WE” is more robust, more intelligent, faster, more creative, productive, successful, and adds more value than “ME.”

  • It is the ability to realize that “WE” are better together. 

  • The mindsets of “WE OVER ME” and “TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER” are more than just colloquialisms. They’re practical principles that help us use some of the natural tensions of working with others to our advantage.

  • That is the Power of “WE.”

The power of “WE” cuts through the complication of team conflict and uses the necessary tensions to create an understanding of interdependence.  

“I” can be powerful, but “WE” has a multiplication factor. “I” is an incremental accomplishment, while “WE” is progressing exponentially.

EXCHANGE THE “ME” MINDSET FOR THE “WE” MINDSET. 

A few years ago, I felt compelled to do something for parents, especially those struggling financially at the start of the school year. So much is required at that time of the year, such as school clothes, sports physicals, Medical screenings, hair cuts, school supplies, backpacks, and all the other regular expenses of running a home. It is an intense time and can be very difficult for the family.  

The thought of a student going to school and not being able to focus on academics because they are wearing the wrong size shoes, or they are concerned if they will get to participate, or God forbid they are hungry. So I put together a plan Called iheartcanyon, and we were going to do it as a church. However, I got an inspired idea. From the Loinn prayer. “Get the other churches involved.” It just so happened that the pastor’s network was looking for some way to pull churches together and help the impoverished

 , and when I presented the idea to them, it was an immediate yes. Wow! I was blown away. The first year, we helped 5-700 students; last year, we assisted over 1500 students. This is because we are better together. The event is fantastic, but my favorite part of it every year is the rally the night before when all the churches and Pastors come together with over 500 serve team members and worship, pray, and show the world that we are better.

To see more about what we do, click here.

Trading the “me” mindset for the “we” mindset sounds like a simple concept, but truthfully it is a tricky proposition.

  •  It requires a dismantling of the ego.  

  • It requires us to value the goal much more highly than our role.  

  • It requires us to realize that what we are doing is not about us; it is about us and, even more importantly, our purpose.  

  • I say I want it my way.

  • We say I can work with my teammates to develop our way, realizing it will become better than my way.

  • I said I will be recognized.

  • We say that recognition doesn’t matter nearly as much as accomplishment.

  • I am trying to make a point

  • we are trying to make a difference.

To achieve purpose at a higher level, trading the me mindset with the we mindset is imperative.

In this “Power of We” blog series, we will deal with several more mindset exchanges that will lift your thinking and empower you to make the leap to a team-driven concept.

You may be doing well alone, but you could be doing amazing things with a team.

By David Gadberry

As a John Maxwell Certified Coach, Teacher and Speaker, I can offer you workshops, seminars, keynote speaking, and coaching, aiding your personal and professional growth through study and practical application of John’s proven leadership methods. Working together, I will move you and/or your team or organization in the desired direction to reach your goals. I see it as my purpose in life to produce potential in people. I have had the good fortune of being an orginazational leader for over 30 years, in many different leadership capacities. I am the Lead Pastor at Summit Church a growing, life giving church in Canyon, Texas, and the Executive Director of a global leadership organization called Global Reach for Justice. I’ve also developed a program called I Heart Canyon a partnering of local churches to help the impoverished before the start of the school year. It has proven to be a truly effective form of outreach with strong results. I’ve joined the John Maxwell team because John Maxwell has been a source of leadership influence in my life for many years and it was a next natural step. This team is effective and has powerful results. It is my goal to help professionals who are specialist in their field but need coaching in leadership. My strategy is to help draw out your potential and your organizations potential to reach your goals, and experience personal and collective growth. Contact Me. I am looking forward to assisting you on your journey to becoming a successful leader.