The necessity of cooperation in challenging environments, like Alaska, forges deep, meaningful connections. This vulnerability forces people to rely on each other, creating a strong sense of community and shared purpose that might not otherwise exist.
The desire for connection and necessary skills often already exist within a group. A leader's role is not to construct community, but to create the conditions—like providing a shared space or a clear invitation—that activate these latent connections and allow them to flourish.
Building a team is a complex system that changes with every interaction; it can't be solved with fixed instructions. Unlike a complicated but predictable task like building a Ferrari, leading a team requires constant experimentation, sensing, and responding to an ever-evolving dynamic.
Zingerman's deli fosters strong community by asking new hires for their personal stories, not by forcing assimilation. Research shows this approach, focusing on what makes an individual stand out, improves performance and halves the likelihood of quitting within six months.
The community of Norwich, Vermont, developed its supportive athletic culture by observing the negative example of a 'Tiger parent.' This shared understanding of the 'way not to go' created a strong boundary that guided them toward healthier, more collaborative norms.
The word "community" literally means "shared gifts." This reframes it from a state of being to an act of doing. A flourishing community isn't one you simply join; it's one you actively create by participating and contributing your unique talents, like a potluck.
Leaders often undermine community by over-structuring outcomes. True flourishing happens when leaders have the patience to let a group struggle and self-organize, like Ed Catmull at Pixar. This necessary 'messiness' is not a problem but the doorway to a new, more vital system being born.