As leaders with subordinate leaders, it is important to keep a pulse how they are doing. This should go without saying but many times we simply lose focus. It’s when we forget what we are trying to accomplish when everything falls apart. Pulling together as a single team is vital to your success.
South African Pool Digging Team: Circa 1972
As the Executive Officer of an infantry unit, it was great to see the men receive the mission, know their task and purpose, and execute with decisive ambition.
But what made it even better, is visiting them in the field when other duties pulled me away from the fight, only to notice the same level of drive and focus. The unity of effort and singleness of heart, mind, and body is amazing to behold.
As leaders to those appointed under us, whether by appointment or by choice, whether in the armed services or in corporate America, we should strive for a central focus and clarity of mind and mission.
There are far too many distractions to mention that pull us away from our target. We, as people, are not beasts of burden only to be pulled away by the ring in our nose. We need not to act as though we were.
The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippi stating to:
…let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. (Philippians 1:27-28 ESV)
Pray this for your team today that they would be of one mind and one focus. You, as the leader, set the tempo.
“Distractions” are your enemy and you have an obligation to eliminate them. Keep you team, your flock, your men, your resources, your friends, family safe from these focus killers.
The greatest example I’ve read on focus, unity, and drive came from EntreLeadship by Dave Ramsey where he gave the following story:
One of the largest, strongest horses in the world is the Belgian draft horse. Competitions are held to see which horse can pull the most and one Belgian can pull 8,000 pounds. The weird thing is if you put two Belgian horses in the harness who are strangers to each other, together they can pull 20,000 – 24,000 pounds. Two can pull not twice as much as one but three times as much as one. This example represents the power of synergy. However, if the two horses are raised and trained together they learn to pull and think as one. The trained, and therefore unified, pair can pull 30,000 – 32,000 pounds, almost four times as much as a single horse.
If you had distracted even one of these horses the total pull of 30,000 pounds would have been a flop. Lose of focus in a team will kill the team. Keep you team focused by created the best environment possible, one free from distractions.
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