Growing as an Entire Organization

March 8, 2022

Take a moment and consider how we coexist and engage with the people around us on a day-to-day basis. We spend our lives competing for jobs, for space, or for attention. This mindset has prevented us from participating in communal growth. We are blocking the way towards team leadership development.

How are you limiting or encouraging collaboration? Are you competing with those you serve (maybe unconsciously), or are you collaborating?

Start With Collaboration

When we are operating from a place of competition, we restrict our ability to listen for ways to work together; the difference is how we decide to show up. When seeking collaboration or exhibiting a genuine desire to improve together, our listening and language show up differently. Even if you are competitors, deciding to work together will increase the quality of work of all involved. My best successes as a coach involved others and their skills as we worked together to serve a broader audience. Consider starting from a place of collaboration and developing your team. Listen to understand and know that if you did work together, you would create something greater than the individual or singular organization.

Each aspect of the Leadership Development Series hosted by Aden Leadership is designed for growth and learning to happen collectively. Whether it be through conversations, social media, or long after the series, we will be able to reach out to others and inspire through genuine connections.

True Progress

How powerful our leadership is when we join forces, team up, and pool resources. The confidence to do this won’t always be there. The fear or intimidation factor of being transparent continues to halt the process of collaboration because it is not the norm and it often feels like exposing a weakness to those that we consider our competitors. How could team leadership development be a priority in your organization? Society often promotes competition as the only way to win. However, winning doesn’t mean we have made progress or a meaningful contribution to our organizations and the audiences we serve.

Give this topic some real thought. We should ask ourselves how often we compete from a place of pride, ego, and selfishness and start comparing it to the instances when we are open to working with others. Celebrate the accomplishments together and give credit to those who made it happen. Meanwhile, be proud of our ability to be vulnerable. A spirit of collaboration is much more valuable and satisfying to all rather than competing at every point in the journey. Rest assured I know this all too well.

I write this as someone who competed all the time and many would tell you Greg Aden was one of the most competitive people they had ever met. However, once I realized the power of asking for help, working well with others, and enjoying the game of life and the learnings along the way, not only did I grow but also everyone around me. It is not too late. Let go and collaborate with those you trust and admire to see what is possible. I triple dog dare you to become a more powerful and more desirable leader through collaboration.

In service,

Greg

Dig deeper on the topic:

Are You a Collaborative Leader?