This topic has been on my heart a lot and seems to pop up all the time in entrepreneurial discussions and spiritual discussions.
In business, it seems there are people who want to start up a company but want to do everything themselves. They want full ownership of the company and want to make sure that all gains for their hard work go right back into their own coffers. It makes sense considering we are all selfish and greedy little creatures with serious control issues by nature.
At church I’ve noticed that people seem to think they can overcome evil by themselves or ‘God is big enough to help me overcome this problem’. They don’t reach out to their brothers or sisters for help on personal issues.
Yet in both cases, full victory is never achieved and I think in both contexts if one were to look deeply at the results one would agree.
Oh sure, there are individuals who seem to be able to do monstrous tasks and start highly successful businesses by themselves, and even seem to maintain a great relationship with God, but rest assured that a) they have not reached as far as they could have gone with a team and b) they are not the norm. I am the norm. And you are the norm. Otherwise you wouldn’t have stumbled across this article and read this far.
Good news. God made Eve.
This act proves that one human was not enough and there is a need for each other. In this case, for companionship and perhaps exciting acts of marital intimacy. After all, the Bible says this:
“Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? – Ecclesiastes 4:11″
We need each other. We ain’t going to make it through this short and cruel life alone and real joy of it all is the comradery we experience through the battle whether it be with your family, friends, sports team, church, business, or otherwise.
I think it’s exciting to meet people who have such strength in areas where I’m completely useless. One such example would be financial analysis. I just can’t stand it. And I can’t do it well. And those two factors are related. And I miss important details that screw it all up. But I know at least two guys who not only know how to do it well, but they enjoy it – God only knows why.
Now, on a practical level, like the Bible verse above proves, there is a multiplication factor, or a ‘leveraged return on investment’ if you will, on the time and energy spent if we have a team. So, it actually makes solid logical sense to choose teamwork over solo work, even with all the ‘extra headaches’ it causes. Check out this little article I found on the topic which summarizes it well.
And so I have made it my goal that no matter what I start, whether it be my own start up company, a church, or whatever, I want to do it with a team.
No team, no go.