“Humans Were Made To Work Together”
Earlier today, in Leading By The Courage To See, I blogged about developing our courage by listening and seeing. This had been inspired by my reading in The Upside of Disruption: The Path To Leading and Thriving In The Unknown by Terence Mauri and the fourth book in The Five Towers series, The Yellow Tower, by J. B. Simmons. Still quoting out of the same paragraph as yesterday in The Yellow Tower, I want to tackle the line, “Humans were made to work together.” I believe this was emphasizing emphasizing the importance of collaboration and community in human life. It suggests that we thrive when we support and rely on one another, highlighting our social nature.
In The Upside of Disruption, Mauri also pointed out that the heart of successfully evolving and innovating is collaboration (humans working together). He stressed that great ideas rarely come from individuals isolated from everyone else. As John Hendrix says, “Our work gets better in community.” Just like C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien needed each other and the rest of the Inklings, we need teams working together and collaborations to create new and exciting innovations.
The lesson here is that teamwork, connections, partnerships, collaborations, and shared experiences enrich our lives, organizations, and communities. Working together leads to greater innovation, problem-solving, and a sense of belonging.
Leading By The Courage To See
I finished reading the fourth book in The Five Towers series, The Yellow Tower, by J. B. Simmons, a couple of weeks ago but came across a few more notes I wanted to process from the reading. One of the things Cipher (the protagonist) was told was, “It takes courage to see.” This suggested that seeing beyond the surface requires bravery and introspection. This also implied that truly understanding oneself and the world involves confronting uncomfortable truths, acknowledging vulnerabilities, and facing fears.
This kind of insight often demands stepping outside of our comfort zone and challenging prevailing beliefs or perceptions. By highlighting the need for courage in gaining deeper understanding, Simmons, through Cipher, was emphasizing the transformative power of awareness and the importance of personal growth.
I’m reading The Upside of Disruption: The Path To Leading and Thriving In The Unknown right now and author Terence Mauri explained that courage is not innate and can be developed. In fact, he suggested we can sharpen our courage by listening and eliminating our preconceived notions. In a program I was facilitating a week ago, a school principal made the comment, “We need to listen, even when it hurts.” So true!
Another sentence the same paragraph in The Yellow Tower that I first quoted in this post is, “The Healer shows those who serve the most in Yellow how to heal, and those who lead the most how to see.” By stating that those who serve in Yellow (associated with warmth, optimism, and connection) learn to heal, it suggested that service to others can lead to personal growth and emotional resilience. It implied that through acts of kindness and support, we can foster healing, both for ourselves and those we help.
Furthermore, the idea that leaders learn to “see” indicated that leading with influence involves empathy and awareness. We, as leaders, must look beyond our own perspectives to understand the needs and experiences of others. This kind of insight is vital for fostering teamwork and collaboration.
Service and leadership are enriched by a deeper understanding of human connections, ultimately leading to a more harmonious and effective community.
Byron's Babbles 
leave a comment