Picture the following scenarios:
Someone who has never run a day in his or her life shows up at an Olympic track meet to compete.
A lightweight underdog challenges a heavyweight champion to a fight.
A group of students who never do their math homework, get low grades, and don’t study compete in a mathletes competition.
Now think about the different reasons the NFL teams currently in the playoffs made it this far and why others may have a 1-15 or 2-14 season record.
Just as there are essential ingredients for a specific recipe, there are some critical elements in forming a successful team. A successful team should have a clear vision towards a common goal. Members of a team should focus on each other’s strengths, appreciate one another, embrace diversity, and be lead by inspiring and strong leadership.
A team should have trust among its members, and team building involves collaborative tasks to enhance social relations and define roles.
Because a team is made up of individuals, doesn’t a team benefit from the strength of each 
member? Someone who has never run could weaken a track team; Students not making the grade may not stand a chance in an academic competition; and a sports team divided will not be able to stand against a team united.
Well, now think about that lightweight underdog showing up to fight a heavyweight champion. Unless the goal is to nearly get killed, that’s just ludicrous! That’s exactly why there are different classes in boxing, which consider the weight/strength of the fighters. If we were to compare these fighters to the boots on ground that 
risk their lives for our country, would the military send an ill, weak soldier to fight enemy lines? Aren’t they sent home when injured? That being an example of one soldier, now multiplying to form an entire army, would describe a weak army. Again, unless the goal is to get killed, that would be ludicrous!
So, what point am I trying to make?
Today is the day set aside to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. So, let us remember what he stood for, but can we take it a step further and actually practice what he preached? He said, “We 
must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” So, unless our common goal is to “perish together as fools” isn’t it about time we do some TEAM BUILDING within our nation? If not, why bother showing up for the race. We will not win. When our military members are sacrificing their lives for our nation, we should be strengthening our nation within itself. This is our home, and a house divided cannot prosper. There is strength in numbers. Therefore, each time we DIVIDE our nation into PIECES, we weaken its foundation.
Again-A team should have trust among its members, and team building involves collaborative tasks to enhance social relations and define roles.
We need to change our “THEY” statements and thoughts to “WE” statements and thoughts when we are talking about members of OUR NATION.
Friday is Inauguration Day. On the West Lawn of our nation’s capital, president-elect Donald Trump will take the Oath of Office. As he has stated, we need to “make America great again.” Well, we as the people of our great nation must not ignore ALL that it takes to do so. It’s not just a series of transactions to make deals, create bills, rules, regulations, and policies. None of that matters without strong individual mindsets building strong units to form one strong successful, super- dynamic team.
It all starts within us. Becoming a stronger individual means improving our minds, bodies, and 
souls. Next, we need to strengthen our families. This is why I am so passionate about making marriage matter. It does matter. Our families are our first TEAMS. Our marriages are our children’s first lessons in social relations. It begins the building of stronger neighborhoods. This leads to stronger communities. These are all examples of team building, each unit building to form a bigger team. The end result is a stronger society. This is the kind of society ready to show up and win. This is the kind of nation that is strong enough to show up to any fight fully prepared. These are the things that are underestimated when it comes to the effect it has on other dynamics such as an economy, work ethic, perseverance, unity, and more.
Each person, at EVERY LEVEL, must take responsibility for his or her own negative mindset and turn it into positive, productive, and collaborative processes, and EVERY LEADER of EVERY individual TEAM should learn the servant role in leadership in order to build our national team in unity rather than destroy with division.
So, will you learn, and teach our children, to live together as brothers? Remember, the alternative is to “perish as fools.”
Leslie Cristea
