I’d like to share this story about “Old Warwick, the Mule.” I’m not quite sure of the origin of the story, but it seems to has come from the book, “Change is Good…You Go First,” by Mac Anderson and Tom Feltenstein. We’ll not go deep into what the story is all about. It’s best that it just hits as you read the story:
A man was lost while driving through the country. As he tried to reach for the map, he accidentally drove off the road into a ditch. Though he wasn't injured, his car was stuck deep into the mud. So the man walked to a nearby farm to ask for help.
"Warwick can get you out of that ditch," said the farmer, pointing to an old mule standing in a field.
The man looked at the decrepit old mule and looked at the farmer who just stood there repeating, "Yep, old Warwick can do the job." the man figured he had nothing to lose.
The two men and the mule made their way back to the ditch. The farmer hitched the mule to the car. With a snap of the reins, he shouted,
"Pull, Fred! Pull, Jack! Pull, Ted! Pull Warwick!"
And the mule pulled that car right out of the ditch. The man was amazed. He thanked the farmer, patted the mule, and asked, "Why did you call all of those names before you called Warwick?" The farmer grinned and said,
"Old Warwick is just about blind. As long as he believes he's part of a team, he doesn't mind pulling."
Teamwork is the collective effort of every member of a team towards a singular goal or vision. Old Warwick’s story shows a different angle on the power of teamwork. This story shows how trusting that you’re not alone in your efforts is a powerful motivator for any individual to perform that a high level.
The “WE” Statements
You know that you have a great team environment if every individual in your organization uses “we” when talking about efforts contributed towards a vision.
“We work to quickly resolve all of our customers’ needs.”
“We make it a point to produce the highest quality of product for our customers.”
“We strive to deliver the best possible experience for our guests.”
“We” statements show that each person in the team knows and believes that they’re not alone in their pursuit of excellence. They don’t worry about others not doing their jobs because of your company culture.
The Farmer = The Leader
Did the farmer “lie” to Old Warwick? Did you think the farmer was being manipulative when he did that? I don’t think so. I’d like to think that the farmer can be compared to a leader, in any organization, that inspires and reiterates the spirit of teamwork to every team member.
Like the farmer, great leaders understand the capabilities and strengths of the individuals they serve. They understand what motivates them, and they won’t allow their team members to end up to be failures. The farmer knew the Old Warwick can do the job. The farmer knew exactly that motivates Old Warwick, so he used that knowledge and insight to guide the blind mule to achieve something significant.
As leaders, it’s our job to make sure each team member comes together with trust and respect for one another. Only then can each one can feed from each other’s energy and enthusiasm. Having that level of trust among team members ensures the forward momentum that is hard to stop. It creates a flywheel that’s powered by trust, motivation, and the united goal to be excellent at what they do—individually and as an organization.
Imagine what your organization can achieve if each member of your company has that same level of trust and dedication as Old Warwick. Imagine what your organization can achieve if you have strong leaders, like the farmer in the story, who understand what motivates each person of their teams. Imagine what your organization can achieve if each member doesn’t care who gets the credit, as long as they know that they’re all moving towards a singular goal. What an amazing feat that would be!
Crowdsourcing FTW
Have you seen instances in your organization when this type of scenario happened? Have you encountered a leader who was able to galvanize superb action from each member of their team? Do you have similar types of stories or fables that inspire teamwork and team dynamics in an organization? Looking forward to hear from you!