“The strength of the team is each individual member.
The strength of each member is the team.”
– Phil Jackson
Imagine a boat. Not just any boat. But my favorite, the ones with multiple outboard engines. When all of those engines are running at their best, – smooth, synchronized, and powerful, there’s absolutely no limit to what that boat can do. It cuts through the waves like a knife. Each engine is contributing to its full potential, making the boat a well-oiled machine. But here’s the catch… if one of those engines fails, it doesn’t just stop the boat. It drags it down. The weight of that dead engine creates unnecessary drag, slowing everything down.
Now, picture two engines down. It’s not just sluggish anymore. It’s dangerous. The boat might still be moving, but at a fraction of its potential, struggling with half the power. It’s a battle against the elements, and the longer it drags on, the more the weight of the situation slows progress. At some point, that boat isn’t going anywhere. Well, not anywhere with speed and momentum at least!
This scenario is a perfect metaphor for leadership and team dynamics. In your organization, each engine represents a key part of your leadership or management team. Each person, like an engine, brings power, momentum, and direction. When they’re all running in harmony, your mission moves forward with strength, speed, and agility. But if one engine, one person, fails to perform, it weighs down the entire system. The drag becomes real, and it holds back the potential of everyone else.
Think about it.
You’re out in the ocean of your organization, the open water of leadership, and you’re counting on your team to get you where you need to go. If one person’s “engine” isn’t running at full capacity – maybe they’re disengaged, underperforming, or just not pulling their weight – it truly impacts the entire operation. You might still be making progress, but you’re not moving as fast or as efficiently as you could. Worse yet, the longer you leave it, the more it slows everyone down. It becomes a bigger problem and way more difficult to fix.
There was a time early on in the journey with Atlas Outdoor when we had a leader on the team who just wasn’t aligned with the rest of the engines. Something wasn’t right. This manager had their own way of doing things, which wasn’t aligned with the company’s vision or how the rest of the team worked. We kept butting heads over priorities, and as much as we tried to push forward, the lack of coordination was pulling us back. Instead of working together, we were working against each other.
It took a bit for me to realize that this manager was not only causing friction but was also holding the team back from achieving our potential. I finally had to make the tough decision to part ways. The moment we removed that weight, we began to accelerate. It was addition by subtraction! In that moment, I learned a powerful lesson: one engine, one bad apple, can put serious drag on the rest of the team. We started to focus on attracting and retaining people who would push the boat forward instead of dragging it down. From that point on, I became far more intentional about who was on the team and how well we all aligned with our vision.
The lesson was clear: if you’re running a boat with multiple engines, all of them need to be firing on all cylinders. A single misaligned engine can slow down everything, – even if the other engines are running perfectly. The power of multiple engines is not just about having more engines; it’s about having the right engines, in sync with each other, and driving forward with purpose.
The power of multiple engines is in the harmony between them. Each one playing its part, synchronized with the others, all pushing forward together. If you have one engine struggling, the rest of the team – your key people – should be able to pick up the slack. But what if two of those engines are struggling? That’s a major bottleneck. Suddenly, you’re forced to navigate through rough seas with a boat that’s barely moving.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
Now, think of a single outboard motor. Sure, you can get one that is powerful – one strong engine can get you pretty far. But what happens when that single engine dies? You’re left stranded in the middle of the ocean, helpless. One engine, no matter how strong, can only do so much. You might have the raw power to take off, but without backup, you’re vulnerable to trouble. You’re at the mercy of the water, stuck until someone can come rescue you!
When you add more engines to your boat, you multiply the power. It’s not just about having more engines; it’s about harmony and synergy. The magic happens when all those engines are running smoothly in sync. Two engines working together bring balance, and more engines just make your boat that much more unstoppable.
The same principle applies to your leadership team. You need more than one leader to drive the ship forward. Having two or more strong leaders – whether it’s in different areas like sales & operations – creates redundancy, power, and strength. You’re not depending on just one person. You’ve built a system that has backup, support, and power in numbers!
“Teamwork makes the dream work, but a vision becomes a nightmare
when the leader has a big dream and a bad team.” – John C. Maxwell
So, what’s the key takeaway here? (aside from wanting to be out on the water)
1. Build a Team of Powerful Engines: Don’t rely on just one engine to carry the load. Assemble a team that can back each other up and push forward with strength.
2. Harmony is Everything: It’s not just about having multiple engines – it’s about making sure they’re in sync. The best teams operate like a finely tuned vessel, each person contributing at their highest potential.
3. When One Engine Fails, Fix It Fast: If you notice drag, address it quickly. One dead engine can slow the entire organization down. Don’t let it drag on too long!
4. Don’t Get Stranded Alone: A single leader, no matter how strong you might be, can only do so much. Build redundancy into your leadership so that if one person falters, your team keeps moving forward.
At the end of the day, a boat with multiple engines is a force. But when all those engines are running smoothly, in perfect harmony, nothing can stop you. The same goes for your business, non-profit, team, etc. – when you build a team that works together like a powerful machine, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.
So, check your engines. Are they all running in sync? Are they all pulling their weight? If not, it’s time to make adjustments. Because the waves of adversity are coming – and you need all your engines firing on all cylinders if you want to navigate them at full speed.