For business, synergy is a team amplifier.  Instead of 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 5.  Synergy makes 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 10 or 15 or 20 or 50.  It happens when all of the members of the team are in sync and able to work together in a way that magnifies each individual’s contributions as they work together and minimizes their friction and waste.  Synergy is about economy of motion and effort while capitalizing on opportunities in unique ways and eliminating or reducing waste of time and energy.  It’s about synchronicity, ability to build on one another with minimal effort, and respect and trust for what each brings to the table. 

Greek philosophers held the belief that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”  This is, in fact, the underlying premise of synergy.  In fact, the word synergy comes from the Latin word, synergia, which is derived from the Greek word, synergos, meaning “to work together” or “to collaborate.”  At its core, synergy is about effectively connecting, communicating, and collaborating with cross-functional partners in order that together they are significantly better and greater than what they can each do individually but for the good of the whole.  Synergy is how a team grows together to achieve higher levels of potential and satisfaction while accomplishing even greater things for the collective.  When they are following, supporting and sustaining the same thought values, principles and processes, a team of 10 is always more powerful and effective and will always outperform 10 individuals each with their own thought values, principles and processes.  But when they do that enough times, they achieve a level of harmony that produces even greater results for the whole.  It’s rare and magical and something that every organization, company or team should aspire to achieve.

Some people spend a lifetime talking about success.  Others go on to achieve it.  John Robert Wooden did both.  Considered one of the greatest NCAA basketball head coaches of all time, he won many games as both a player and an NCAA coach.  Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1960 and as a coach in 1973 — the first person ever to be chosen in both categories – he was wildly successful in his career.  But he also went on to memorialize his strategies for success in a system he dubbed the Pyramid of Success and became a prolific speaker on how to be successful.  He not only talked a lot about success, but he also taught others how to be successful.  He was the epitome of “teach what you know.” 

In the world of sports, John Robert Wooden is considered one of the greatest NCAA basketball head coaches of all time. Nicknamed the “Wizard of Westwood”, he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championships in a 12-year period as head coach for the UCLA Bruins, including a record seven in a row. No other team has won more than four in a row in Division I college men’s or women’s basketball. During that period, his teams won an NCAA men’s basketball record 88 consecutive games. Wooden won the prestigious Henry Iba Award as national coach of the year a record seven times and won the AP award five times. Wooden, who had also been a basketball player before he was a coach, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1960 and as a coach in 1973, the first person ever to be chosen in both categories.

Some measure greatness in height and weight, but great people are never so tall as when they bend their knees to help lift someone who has fallen.  Some measure greatness in physical strength, but great people are never so strong as when they carry the burden of a downtrodden stranger.  Some measure greatness in terms of financial gain, but those who give generously to others have a wealth that is far better than money.  Some measure greatness in applause and fame, but those who seek opportunity to serve in quiet or unpopular ways gain the highest praise.  Some measure greatness in their own ability to reach goals, yet those who spur others toward a higher purpose for the good of all is the most successful of all.

How is that Spelled?

Dash off an email to a client. Tap out a quick text message to a colleague. Jot down some notes in Messenger and send it to a direct report. Forward a key piece of information about a deal to a coworkers with a comment. The speed of business is accelerating, and people are communicating more than ever… and we’re in a bigger hurry than ever to click “send”. Communication tools abound and we use them all. WhatsApp. Messenger. Email. Text. Slack. With a click, messages are sent by professionals with no way to take them back… even when they’ve made an egregious error. 

The Things We Say Wrong

In business, we write A LOT.  Text messages.  Instant messages.  Emails.  Posts and comments on social media.  Requests for Proposals.  Reports.  Presentations.  Blogs.  And, these days, business executives are penning books more than ever before… even if they’d never published anything before.  In almost any job, we are required to write.  And, how we write says a lot about who we are.  When a message has grammatical, syntax or spelling errors or uses words incorrectly, it can make a person seem uneducated or simple, even if they are highly intelligent.  While they say that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, people will most certainly judge a book if the title has a typo or uses an incorrect turn of phrase.

We are writing more than ever before.  While technology provides a myriad of tools to catch errors — spell check, thesaurus, spelling and grammar check – those tools are not perfect.  They can fix some things but not all.  And, in some mediums — such as text or instant messaging — there are no such tools.  In fact, auto-correct can sometimes even add to the mistakes.   It is important to be able to write well even when there is no help from technology… especially when there is no help from technology.

Boosting Drive for more Action

Drive is an executive function of the brain.  It is a cognitive skill that spurs action.  Drive is what makes you work hard, put forth effort and persevere.  Drive is what keeps you going long after motivation has evaporated.  It’s the stuff that makes you keep doing a good job even when you’re no longer excited to do the work.  It makes you stay at a job even after the initial thrill of a new job has worn off.  For example, it’s what keeps scientists researching even after they’ve hit brick walls and roadblocks.  It is what keeps a business owner, like Elon Musk, working on spaceships that can take people and cargo into space and then return safely to earth.  Drive is what pushes us forward to make the impossible possible. 

Motivation and Drive – Two Sides of the Same Coin

Actions speak louder than words.  In our fast-changing and increasingly complex world, power is in the hands of those who act decisively and consistently.   Persistence pays.  We are commanded in ads to “Just do it.”  This mantra is all about taking action.  It says that being able to take action, stay-the-course and persevere in an endeavor is more valuable than being smart, skilled or a smooth talker.  It is certainly true that most leaders would prefer to have highly-motivated, driven employees than ones who are geniuses, talented or personable, but don’t get the job done.