When Independence Becomes Individualism

If team members are willing to give of themselves generously to the team, then it is being set up to succeed. In America, independence and individualism is highly valued because it is seen as a sign of innovation, hard work and a willingness to be pioneers. I too embrace those qualities. However, I have learned over time that independence taken too far is a characteristic of SELFISHNESS, a need to emphasize the “I” in independence. Too much independence focused on self will begin to harm or hinder others. Here’s a barometer. If you find yourself in conversations, criticizing the efforts of others when they fall short of the mark or even if not in conversation, thinking the same thoughts, then you have gone past the point of independence and are in the lonely country of individualism. We all fall short from time to time and an investment in others will ensure that even if you stumble you will never hit the ground. In the words of Mr. Spock of STAR TREK, “The needs of the many, always outweigh the needs of the few, the needs of the one!