Don’t Be That Horse

“A team of horses will not pull a very big load when one of the horses is lying down.”

There are early adopters when it comes to change and initiative, there are those who slowly go along with it, and there are reluctant drag-ins. I would encourage you to NOT be in that last category: the horse that is lying down while the others are pulling.  These are the folks who aren’t pulling their weight around the house nor taking their share of the load on work teams.

Your team at work is supposed to be about working on all cylinders toward fulfillment of your organization’s mission and vision. Any weak link in that chain slows down progress of the whole company, and it doesn’t earn you any brownie points toward recognition either. In fact, if you are a resistor, your teammates are probably already working around you and costing the team lots of extra money and energy.

Be the first “horse” to get up and get moving and start pulling the load alongside your teammates–whether that is at work or in your home or church/volunteer organization. Leaders need the full cooperation of their group in order to keep things moving forward toward profit or unity or however success is defined.  People respect early adopters for their courage and risk-taking and support, and hopefully, your enthusiasm will be contagious and get everyone else to step it up a notch.

Self-evaluate the hats you wear (roles you play), and honestly determine: Am I quick to get on board, or do I need to take more initiative?