You Won’t Get Very Far Alone

I've been thinking about this quote a lot lately. Pondering the fact that we will only make the change we need to see in the world if we work together and yet sometimes our fragile egos preventing us from doing so.

But here’s the thing: life is not a zero sum game. In fact, I’ve found that the more I empower others in my own work the more I step into my own greatness.

We can’t do anything alone.

The best athletes have coaches, trainers, massage therapists, doctors, sports psychologists and dozens of other people in their life who enable them to focus on their sport.

Great thought leaders and change makers have teams, people we might not hear much about but know they are there behind the scenes making things happen.

I am a natural collaborator.

I am at my best when I am collaborating.

I feed off the energy of others and that allows me to do more, go further.

I’ve noticed lately though that some people are threatened by that, preferring to go their own way, do their own thing and get the credit on their own.

And now I understand why.

Last year I heard a lot about this concept of radical collaboration but very little about what it means in practice.

I did some research and wrote a blog about it and we now use the term radical collaboration to describe our ethos in the Loss and Damage Collaboration, one of the initiatives I lead.

At the heart of radical collaboration is the need to reduce our defensiveness.

To come to conversations with others with an open mind and an open heart. And that requires us to do a lot of work.

For me meditation and mindfulness create a foundation that allows me to respond rather than react. And that is key.

But without self-love I can’t show up in a way that is conducive to radical collaboration.

The more we love ourselves, the better we will feel about empowering others.

When we truly love ourselves, when we feel worthy, when we know we are enough just as we are, we don’t need the credit.

We don’t require the accolades.

We don’t need to see our names in lights because our hearts are lit up and our names are written on them.

Sure, it’s nice to be acknowledged sometimes but you won’t really need it if you really love yourself.

At the end of the day, we can’t be great leaders if don’t empower others and we can’t empower others if we don’t love ourselves.

We rise by lifting others and conversely, if we don’t lift others we won’t rise. I believe that wholeheartedly.

If you find yourself unwilling to empower others ask yourself: what am I not loving about myself in this moment?

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