Teamwork and Geese:

As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an 'uplift' for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock flies 71% farther than any single bird could fly on its own.

Lesson - Each member of the team benefits from the others' presence

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it. When the lead bird tires, it rotates back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Lesson - It is important that the head of the team work as hard, or harder, than all the members of the team. This will provide an example of others to follow. And if that member of the team needs support or a "rest", then the other members of the team must be there to step into the leadership role.

The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson - Constant support and encouragement are essential in helping the team feel a sense of togetherness.

If a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese will drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.

Lesson - Any member of the team who has troubles should never be left to handle them on their own. Supporting team members during difficult times is critical in helping them overcome challenges

"When working as a team, everyone must fly together. Then you will ALL soar above the rest." - anon (if you know where this quote came from please let me know and I will site it accordingly)

Teamwork can often be the most trying and difficult part of our daily work. It is also the most rewarding. I think we often fail to recognize that our entire lives are a result of teamwork. None of us will attain our goals and achieve success without the support of a team. There is a myth that we can exist on our own. That we can survive without assistance and that individual success is individual. We are all a result of a team of people teaching us and imparting advice and knowledge. No man is an island, as the saying goes. Although we may face individual challenges and overcome obstacles on our own, to do so is not in isolation. We are equipped with the ability to do so by others.

What if instead of approaching our lives as if it is every person for themselves, we approached it as if everything is for each other? What if every day you woke up you attempted the day as if it was with everyone around you? In the developing world the expression is often used that "it takes a village to raise a child". We are all apart of this village, we are all a goose in the 'V'. Approach everyone you encounter, everyone you work with and alongside, as if they are your teammate. In each of these interactions you will make each other better for having done so. You will learn new things and teach others.

The world is a far more surmountable obstacle when we believe in one another, when we trust in one another. We are all a team and the minute you realize it will be the minute you become more than yourself. We can learn a lot from Geese, but especially that no one is greater than a team.

Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

Very cool international call to action taking place October 15. Bloggers from around the world will unite to bring into focus Poverty as it affects us all. If you are a blogger then please take the opportunity to sign up your blog and join everyone in the discussion. This is the website for Blog Action Day. No matter what the topic of your blog is take this one day to let everyone know about Poverty and what they can do to help.

Another great post by Tyler Herman over at The Beauty of Uganda.

Thoughts of the highest contemplation, emotions flowing with mountainous sensation,
Democratic intention, falling to the wayside at the onset of wars mention.
Bullets flying past baby's bottles,
the jarheads' adrenaline junkie fix at full throttle,
and all for resource gain,
for expanding the hegemonic geopolitical plane?
It's a measureless shame,
and it's all of humanity to blame.
Human rights violations at an all time peak,
so many silenced by force, with no voice to speak.
Liberties taken away with oppression as the beasts force,
a timeline of humanities history shows consistent remorse.
Each voice must be heard, for this world belongs to all,
Governments ears need to open, leaders listening to humanities call.
The golden age is nearing its long awaited appearance,
but in your own heart you must usher in its' clearance.
Must embrace the loving nature that humanity has always intended to live,
must open the gates to your heart and soul and continuously strive to give.
Give in any way possible, for the nature of giving multiplies,
paying it forward lifts the veil of illusion from our own eyes.
We are on a path that needs positive reinforcement,
one that embraces unified cooperative endorsement.
One that places idealism at the forefront of visionary progression,
one that acts on realism, leading to widespread positive succession.
Each positive action forming the foundation for the golden age,
Beauty growing out of scars, universal love taking center stage.
Keep hope at the forefront of your outlook and intention,
And a world of peace and prosperity will gain its' retention.
The stepping stones are being laid, the path is clearly paved,
The seeds of change have sprout, an action many have craved.
A new dawn is arising, the horizon of possibility is breaking,
Share of your heart, and take part in the World Peace staking.
Go now in peace and find yourself in a world positively evolving,
Spin your world of hope with others, and the reaction will continue revolving.

One of the most influential people in the world happens to be one of my idols. He has spent years advocating for a better world and taking big steps towards accomplishing this goal. He is a man who's name is recognizable even to those with no knowledge of what he has done. He was once considered a terrorist by the U.S. government, and was jailed for a large period of his life. He is, in my opinion, the greatest leader in my brief lifetime. His name is Nelson Mandela, or Madiba as his friends call him, and he recently reached the ripe old age of 90.

About a month ago Time magazine released an article entitled, "The Secrets of Leadership: Eight lessons from one of history's icons" by Richard Stengel. The article was about Nelson Mandela and his experience with spending a good portion of his life in prison on Robben Island and his triumphant return to the presidency of South Africa and the dismantling of Apartheid. I am going to share these 8 secrets because I think they are essential for a leaders toolkit. As you also know, I think he is pretty darn awesome.

No 1.
Courage is not the absence of fear-it's inspiring others to move beyond it

No 2.
Lead from the front-but don't leave your base behind

No 3.
Lead from the back-and let others believe they are in front

No 4.
Know your enemy-and learn about his favorite sport

No 5.
Keep your friends close-and your rivals even closer

No 6.
Appearances matter-and remember to smile

No 7.
Nothing is black or white

No 8.
Quitting is leading too

The full article is available here on the Time website and it is worth a read.

Nelson Mandela is a man I admire a great deal and who's philosophy on leadership mirrors my own in many ways. It is important to find someone you look up to and who you can draw experience from, even if it is just from a book about them. Leading a group of people can, at times, feel like trial and error. Some things work and others will fail miserably. The important thing is to take these important lessons, in success and in failure, and learn from them. There are many people who have walked down the unbeaten path and blazed a trail. It does not mean that they didn't draw inspiration from another source, it just means the destination they reached was one that had been ignored by others. When you look back at the feats you accomplish and take a moment to admire where you came from and where you ended up, you may recognize the distance you have traveled, others will probably only see where you ended up.

Which brings me to one of my favorite quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

"Life is a journey, not a destination."

Leadership, like life, is a journey. You will have some innate skills and others will be picked up along the way. Your philosophy on how to lead will be ever evolving. You do not need to have the answers now, nobody does, what you need is the courage to try. When you get where you wish to go the failures and bumps along the way will end up being the reason you got there. No one gets everything right all of the time, but that one magical moment, the only one people will recognize in the end, that will be part of your journey. No one remembers the failures Nelson Mandela was dealt, all they remember is the icon he became. You shouldn't be afraid of failure, or the difficult journey. If there is one thing we can all learn from Madiba it is that we are all capable of special things in our lives if we are willing to learn from our failures and accept the difficult journey on our way to success.

dis·po·si·tion: the predominant or prevailing tendency of one's spirits; natural mental and emotional outlook or mood; characteristic attitude

I used to often find myself in a place in life where I didn't want to be, with no recollection of how I got there. I woke up each morning with a feeling of anxiety and no motivation to start the day. All I could do is force myself to move and go through the motions as if nothing was wrong. Sometimes that simple act was enough to change the course of my day, week, month, other times it only exacerbated the problem. I would go through my day wishing nothing more than for it to be over. I would day dream about what I could be doing with my time, what fun I could be having, what movie I could be curled up on the couch watching. I would lull myself into a state of pity and blame the world around me for the place I was in. Of course I wasn't going to take any responsibility for things, it couldn't be my own fault.

Then one day when I unexpectedly found myself examining and reflecting on who I was. I realized that it was indeed me who was digging myself into these ruts. I was dismayed with the world but I was passively participating in the process. I was reacting, not acting, and I was watching rather than playing. The world was doing its thing and I was acting powerless to interject. However, the world around me was of my own creation. I was choosing to view the world through pitiful, angry, depressed eyes. While I chose not to see it this way, it was only because I didn't know how to change things.

Then I learned the power of thinking positively about the world. I learned that I could create and live my disposition in a way that gave me power to enjoy life. To be happy could be of my own doing and not because someone handed it to me or because I bought it off the shelf. If you could, and you can, choose to live the life you want or the one that you have been dealt, what would you choose? You aren't a powerless person. If you find yourself in a place, doing or being someone you don't want to be then you can choose to be somewhere or someone else. If you think of yourself as an ever evolving painting, the painter is you. You get to choose what to portray, the colors you want to use, the angle of the brush. If you can wrap your head around this simple, yet extremely difficult, idea, then you can immediately make an impact on the world around you.

We can all choose to see what is wrong in the world or we can choose to see what is right and what is possible. We can react or we can act. What disposition will you choose today?