The Band is sacred…

Today’s Band practice was sacred. We shed tears as we mourned a death in the family of one of our own. We shed tears as we leaned into a desperate struggle within another one of us. We cried tears of joy as we shared stories of this opus and its impact. We saw each other. We saw the ripples of this opus and the real community being built here and out there. It was personal, professional, and profound. We experienced oneness within and with each other. It was sacred. Real, hard, opus.

We came together in Beijing, Charleston, STL, Powell, Hilliard, and wherever Gu was. We missed some of our members. We always miss a few. We didn’t miss the mark, however. We are becoming ONE, distinct and deeply connected. When I started this experiment in 2002 had no idea. I’m writing this so I remember.

The heart of high performance is oneness.

It’s not found in bullshit brotherhood or bullshit boardrooms. It can be found in real locker rooms and real boardrooms. Takes incredible amount of humility, vulnerability, and discomfort to get there. Our country desperately needs it. Our colleges? Desperately. Our corporations? Desperately. Our communities? Desperately. E pluribus Unum. Out of many, one. Most American’s don’t even know this is our country’s motto. It is.

It’s not up to our government to create this kind of community. It is up to you and me. We’re tasting this in NGB practice and Friday Band practice. We’re tasting this with a few of our clients. It takes more time than any reasonable leader has. So, leader, when are you going to make time to build what you have no time for and what makes no cents, at least right this moment? Or are you just going to settle for good enough. You choose. Your choices have consequences. The BTL Band is beginning to model the way. We have a long way to go. We will never arrive. We will keep working on ourselves. We will remember today. We will press on. Sometimes holding a hurting hand, sometimes holding ‘em accountable. Helluva week. Amen.