Why some teams pull together and others don´t?

I recently read ”Start With Why” by Simon Sinek, and it has become one of my favorite books from the past year. This made me to seek out another book by the same author, which led me to ”Leaders Eat Last” (2017). In addition to this I listened to one of his keynote speeches from a few years ago, which provided further insight into how to apply his methods.

The book’s title is derived from the American Marines, who traditionally allow officers to eat last during meal times. This metaphor can be applied to the business world, where a leader’s most important task should be to take care of everyone first and ensure that all the pieces come together.

The desire for safety and stability is universal. We all long for recognition, love, and appreciation for our actions, and we rely on others to fulfill our needs. However, in our competitive world, people often prioritize personal gain over sacrificing for others. This is exemplified in the bonus system where individuals are rewarded for sacrificing others to achieve goals. Simon Sinek wrote a story about a man who dreams of trying new things but is held back by his hope to provide for his family. But the company he worked at made him totally miserable. He felt he was not appriacted for the work that he did and his ideas or thoughts were not heard.

The modern capitalist world is structured around this same concept of gaining wealth at the expense of others and nature. It’s vital to have organizations that prioritize building a healthy work environment and making decisions that positively impact the future. It’s our responsibility as the current generation to take positions in these organizations and shape them for the better.

Hoping for safety and stability

Everybody wants to be recognised and loved. We want to be appriciated for the things that we do. All of us need other people. Sometimes i wonder does anybody Sinek writes a story about a man how dreams about trying new things. But he does not take the risk, beacause he wants to provide for his family.

”We give bonuses to people who are willing to sacrifice others in order to us to gain”

Would you risk your life for a colleague? Probably not. The modern world is very competive. In business this frase is often totally backwards. We go foward only to gain wealth in the expense of others or nature. The whole structures of the modern capital world are basicly built on this. This is why we truly need organizations that can build healthy work enviorments and make sure that they make decisions that build a better tommorrow. The most important thing for our generation is to step in to the positions where we can shape organizations for the better.

Building a Strong Team:

To build a strong team, it’s important to understand the basics of biology. By understanding our bodies, we can better comprehend our behavior.

E.D.S.O

In building teams, physics plays a significant role. Our bodies are built to push through tough situations, but we also need communities around us.

E is for Endorphins:

Endorphins are responsible for masking physical pain. For example, runners may feel great after a 20-kilometer run but experience total pain in an hour.

D is for Dopamine:

Many of us are constantly seeking dopamine, and it’s highly addictive. It’s all around us, particularly on our phones. In teams, dopamine can drive motivation and productivity.  Dopamine driven companies might not see the bigger picture or they only focuse on result, rather than the ways that their comapny is working together.

S is for Serotonin:

Serotonin is intertwined with our relationships, and it’s the feeling of pride and status. For instance, when you graduate, your parents also feel a sense of pride. In teams, the desire to make your teammates proud is why serotonin is known as the ”leadership chemical.”

O is for Oxytocin:

Oxytocin represents the feelings of trust, love, and stability that exist within communities, families, relationships, and work environments. Oxytocing is very long lasting and it is released in the precense of our tribe or group.

In order to reach our business goals, we need to visualize them and put them into action. However, at Hohke, we often face the challenge of having similar visions but vastly different goals after graduation. This can sometimes lead to confusion during the process. Despite this challenge, we have made significant progress towards our goals, including the upcoming around-the-world trip in January. Although we still need to raise additional funds for the journey, I believe we can achieve this during the fall. It is important to acknowledge the milestones we have achieved so far, even as we strive towards the next goal.

The atmosphere at Hohke this year has been really good. We have developed trust and learned to give each other space, creating a sense of safety among the team. A leader’s most important task is to make others feel safe, and I have made this my primary goal over the past few months. The need to feel safe is tied to our biological need to feel a part of a community. If employees or teammates do not feel safe, they waste their energy protecting themselves, leading to a toxic business culture that undermines our goals. Therefore, a leader must create a circle of safety that includes everyone in the team and allows for open communication.

In nature, alphas eat first. This is a choice of evolution, but in business, a leader must be willing to give up perks when necessary and make sure everyone in the team feels safe. During times of turbulence, a leader must listen to the team’s needs and worries. Successful businesses can answer the question of why they exist, which helps them identify their motives and values. This allows them to create a circle of safety that includes individuals who share their vision and values.

I feel fortunate to be studying at Team Academy, where we have discussed how we will feel after graduation. It will be challenging to leave behind the safety net we have built over the past three years. However, I aspire to create a similar sense of safety in my future work community. Finding meaning in our work makes our lives healthier, and stress can have a significant impact on our health. Cortisol, released during prolonged periods of stress, weakens our immune system and can make us sick. Team Academy is an intense environment that is not suitable for everyone, and learning to manage stress is critical to success.

During my first year at Team Academy, I often felt anxious in various situations, partly because I did not feel comfortable in my team. This theme continued into the second year as we struggled to find our areas of strength and make the work profitable. However, everything has changed this year, and we now understand how to leverage our strengths to build our careers. We are a team even when we are not working on every project together. The shared struggle towards our goals is what binds us together, and having the right people around us makes it easier to turn our ideas into action.