The American rugged individualistic myth is destroying us.

I remember barely hanging on to the escalator railing, heavy and sluggish after 15 hours alone on planes from St. Louis to Johannesburg, South Africa. What comes into view as I descend are a massive giraffe and the arrivals and departures boards. Then a two-story tile wall with the quote, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If we want to go far, go together.”

And then my husband and friends walk into view. I immediately felt the energy rise from my belly and a lightness come to me. At my very core, I was experiencing the truth of this proverb.

Erika Biddix, a seven-figure business leader, summed up the exact same idea when she came as our Monday Mentor.

“Humans are not on this earth to do things by themselves.”

We all want belonging. We all want community. Going it alone decreases our effectiveness…not to mention it’s a straight line to burnout!

I’m still thinking of ALL THE GOODNESS she gave us.

4:00: Why seeing people is important in leadership
7:30 Why we need different types of people around us
12:00: Why working together is more than just the space we occupy and what we’re really looking for.
14:55 Why community is vital to your leadership
17:30 Erika’s practical advice for leaders they can apply right now.

Watch the entire video here:

Rugged individualism perpetuates the lie of the lone hero who never asks for help and can succeed with no help. And it’s killing us. We feel bad for feeling lonely. Or even foolish for asking for help. I want you to know while those feelings are real, they come from the ideas of myth baked into American culture.

And we can choose to be better leaders by living in the truth: “Humans are not on this earth to do things by themselves.”

Are you feeling isolated and looking for community? Connect with me, and let’s talk.