The minute you join any collection of individuals, teams, or leaders, your brain goes all primal on you. You see, anytime you engage with others, your brain scans them like the ancient Savannah looking for friend or foe. Your brain begins with the leader but it doesn’t stop there, it’s got to know that not only does she have your back but so do your peers and the other peeps in close proximity around you. You aren’t satisfied until you somehow know it’s safe.
You ask three questions on your way to the big one. Are we close? Are we safe? Do we have a shared future?
If your brain is going to turn it’s focus toward real work, it’s got to answer these fear based ones first. You see, friend, you and I come with deep, primal hard wiring. We don’t get busy until we answer the big question that comes from answering the first three – Do I belong?
BTL believes too many leaders have forgotten modern man still runs on a primal operating system. You are wired to belong and become. If you don’t feel like you belong with your bride, brother, best friend, or fellow bellhops or basketball players, you are not going to perform anywhere close to your peak. This is why we can’t explain why certain teams outperform seemingly superior teams. We can’t put an exact number on belonging to a band of brothers, but we know it matters when we see it or sense it. Last night I rewatched the final episodes of Band of Brothers. Hadn’t watched since Jordan (age 16), Andrew (age 14), and I watched this every Sunday night for ten straight. Brought back memories. We never stop needing reminders, friends.
Want a better team, leader? Remember your teammates want to belong. And, they need to be reminded over and over and over again – we are safe, we are close, we have a future together. You belong here. You’ve been reminded.
Live hard. Love harder…
BUILT TO LEAD 