When you are a member of a team, each relationship is unique. Some focus on the job at hand, and some are based on the connection you have with each member.
When I was 9 years old, my parents had me join a military-style marching band called the Weldonians. It was here I learned the value of relationships and the power it generated to the whole team.
I was a member of the majorette corps. The entire band was made up of 150+ kids ranging in age from 3 to 23. We won as a unit and lost as a unit. As a member of this band, it was the responsibility for the older kids to look after the younger kids. We learned to have the backs of our neighbors. Practices were a weekend affair, with practice all day Saturday and half a day Sunday and a performance every Sunday afternoon.
Crisp straight lines, intricate formations, great music and high-stepping majorettes were all part of the entertainment package. The tight relationships we formed helped us support each other in performing the best we could.
It is through those relationships we were able as a unit to win awards; perform as the half-time entertainment for the Oakland Raiders a couple of times a month for home games; receive invitations to perform in the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco; and perform at the Rose Bowl and in the Rose Parade.
The power of relationships channeled into one direction was amazing to participate in during the time I was a member of the Weldonians. I will never forget the relationships and the feeling of knowing someone had my back.
Understand that as a part of the whole, you are able to accomplish something so much bigger than you could do on your own!