A leader is master at working with others

Why is it important to live and work with others?  Why is teamwork important?  There are certain achievements that can only be done with a team.

Solo efforts will not work!  There was  a  time  in  ministry  where  I  worked  alone. 

 Sometimes  I  worked  with  a  couple  of  other people.  But  as  I  expanded  and  grew,  I  was  forced  to  accept  that  I  would  work  with  a  large team of people.  Some achievements are simply impossible without a large team.  

 Climbing the highest mountain in Europe

I  once  visited  the  highest  mountain  in  Europe.    I  was  amazed  at  the  dangerous  and awesome  snow  peaks  of  these  magnificent  mountains.  I  could  not  help  being  afraid  at different times of this experience.  It is a place worth visiting!  But even more amazing were the  people  who  were  climbing  this  mountain  on  foot.  For  some  reason,  thousands  of  people have a passion to climb these dangerous high mountains.  They climb over glaciers (rivers of ice) that have steep crevices that go down hundreds of metres.  They also climb vertical rock faces with ropes and ladders.  It is just scary to look at!  Every year, several people die trying to climb these mountains.  Many others also get injured.   

Strategy for climbing the highest mountain in the world 

Mount Everest which is the highest mountain in the world is far more dangerous.  Mount Everest is almost double the height of European mountains at 8,848 metres high. Yet, every year,  many  people  try  to  climb  it,  risking  their  very  lives.    What  is  amazing  about  climbing Mount  Everest  is  the  number  of  people  that  are  needed  to  help  one  person  climb  the mountain.   

Do  you  have  any  idea  what  it  costs  for  one  person  to  attempt  to  climb  Mount  Everest today?  It will cost you between $30,000 and $100,000 to attempt to climb Mount Everest.  It will  take  you  four  to  10  weeks  to  climb  Mount  Everest. There  is  a  reason  for  these  huge costs!  Several people will have to help you climb this mountain! A huge team of porters  will have to help you climb the mountain.

They will carry your equipment, food and oxygen for you.  A huge team of guides, chefs, doctors, icefall doctors, helicopter pilots and so on will also be needed.  No one person can go up the mountain on his own!   You need to work with others, as a team, to accomplish this feat. It is a feat that is impossible on your own! This is where  teamwork  comes  in.    This  is  where the  wisdom  of  being  able  to  work  in  a  group  is essential.     

For instance, the very first person   who climbed Mount Everest was a man called Tenzing. He hired, organised and led a large team of over 200 people for the journey to the top of  the mountain.  To  get  just  two  people  to  the  summit,  the team brought  10  high- altitude climbers. The team required  almost  2.3  tonnes  of  equipment  and  food  and  these  supplies were carried from Kathmandu on the backs of porters, for a distance of  290 kilometres up and down Himalayan ridges and over rivers crossed by narrow rope - and - plank bridges to the base camp. 

Another  40  porters  with  extensive  mountain  experience  carried  these  supplies  up  the mountain. The strongest third of that team carried 340 kilogrammes of necessary equipment in to higher camps. Only Tenzing and three other porters had the strength and skill to go to camps near the summit.  

The  strategy  was  to  allow  one  team  to  exhaust  themselves  just  to  get  equipment  up  the mountain  for  the  next  group  to  use.    Then  two- man  teams  would  work  their  way  up  the mountain,  find  the  paths,  cut  steps  and  a  path   and  securing ropes.  Tenzing,  the  man  who reached the top of the mountain, said:  

“You  do  not  climb  a  mountain  like  Everest  by  trying  to  race  ahead  on  your  own,  or  by competing  with  your  comrades.  You  do  it  slowly  and  carefully,  by  unselfish  teamwork.

Certainly I wanted to reach the top myself; it was the thing I had dreamed of all my life. But if the lot fell to someone else I would take it like a man…”

 We have already looked at the importance of working alone as a leader.  There also come the time  when  your  success  as  a  leader  is  directly  related  to  your  ability  to  work  with  other people.  It is the wisdom of the serpent.

 Notice that  the same animal that is usually found alone can function with a large team of other snakes.  To be wise as a serpent you  must be able to function with a team.  A leader  must be able to delegate.  He must  also   be able to work with many other people. Some people are only able to work well alone. That   is not the wisdom of a serpent!    You must be able to work alone but also be able to live and work with other people.

Writer’s E-mail :theaol@ymail.com

The writer is the Presiding Bishop of the United Denominations-Originating from the Lighthouse Group of Churches (UD-OLGC)