United We Stand Divided We Fall
It has been 262 days since the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. This virus has presented enormous challenges for us all. The effects of the pandemic has impacted us all in the way we live, the way we work and the way we socialise.
Last week we began to see divisions of opinions regarding the way to proceed in dealing with the surge in cases and potential second wave. The mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham and the Prime Minster have had a major disagreement on the best way forward for the region. We have different strategies for parts of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which all seems to be contributing to the confusion and also conflict. There are divisions in Parliament and our leaders are no longer speaking with one voice. Differences in opinion is one thing, but conflict and division is something entirely different and can lead to disastrous consequences. We are seeing a similar picture in the United States, where there appears to be major divisions and conflict, only 2 weeks from the election. There is even conflict around the wearing of masks!
The oxford dictionary defines the word ‘unity’ as “the state of being in agreement and working together; the state of being joined together to form one unit”. There is a famous phrase that has been used by many organisations and leaders, “United we stand, divided we fall” The phrase has often be used to inspire and motivate teams to unite and work in collaboration for the greater good of the team, organisation, or country. Before the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln said “A house divided against itself cannot stand” In her book Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire, JK Rowling lent the phrase writing, “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided”. Being united, standing together and working in collaboration are crucial to continued success. Alone we can achieve limited success, but together, combining ideas, bringing the best out of each, enabling each other, brings growth and longevity to those successes.
Unity in leadership does not simply mean the team following you as the leader, not having an opinion or not being challenging. In fact united leadership is about you creating the atmosphere and the environment that allows you to be constructively challenged and where there is trust within your team to challenge each other. Note I use the word challenge. Too often, when leaders have not created the right environment, ‘challenge’ can turn into ‘attacks’, which then becomes destructive. As leaders we need to build the right strategy, embed reflective practices and reinforce collectivism within our teams.
During the pandemic, there has been many signs and slogans, the latest being, hands, face, space. As I drive through Wolverhampton I see flashing signs telling me that we are in tier 2, which is high and information on what we allowed and not allowed to do. There are also many inspirational signs that have been put up to encourage the city, by Wolverhampton’s Football club, signs like “We will stick together because it’s our identity” and “The strength of the Wolf is in the Pack” These signs were inspired by the manager Nuno Espirito Santo, a great manager and leader who believes in the strength of the team working together in the best interest of the club and Wolverhampton.
We have gone through a lot over the past 262 days and we will have many more challenges before this crisis is over, but if this crisis has taught us anything, it should have taught us that together we are stronger. United we stand, divided we fall.
Have a great week everyone and remember: "None of us is as smart as all of us."