Eddie George, the former Heisman trophy winner and current coach of the Tennessee State football team was recently on Colin Cowherd’s show talking about his biggest challenge as a coach. He held up the cover of The Energy Bus and said his greatest challenge was getting his coaches and team on the bus, working together and it’s why they were all reading The Energy Bus.

We all know intuitively that a united and connected team is a powerful team and a divided and disconnected team is a weak team. We know that if we stay united, we will stand strong but if we become divided, we will fall.

I’ve observed people, teams, organizations and even countries the last few years and it seems we have become more divided than ever; politically, emotionally, ideologically, relationally and psychologically.

A division has taken place that has weakened us individually and collectively. We need to heal the divide within our teams, organizations, countries and our own souls!

But how do we do this?

Healing the divide starts with the understanding that wholeness, unity and oneness is our natural and healthiest state while division and separation is an unhealthy, undesirable state and a sign that something has gone awry.

That’s why when we are divided, we don’t feel quite right and know something is wrong. It’s why so many are feeling anxious, drained and overwhelmed these days. As I wrote in The One Truth, the root for the Greek word for anxious means “to separate and divide”. When you feel anxious you feel separate and divided. And when you are struggling with mental health issues you feel separate, alone, isolated and disconnected.

Just like experiencing pain from a broken arm, we feel the pain of a broken soul, relationship and team and this pain lets us know that we need to heal and return to wholeness, oneness and strength.

That’s why if you are in a relationship, it’s important to remember you are not meant to be on two separate teams but are at your best when you are on the same team working together.

When I was consulting with a football team that was divided because the defense was upset the offense wasn’t playing well, I was able to remind them they were ONE team and would be at their best when they played for each other instead of fighting against each other.

Years ago, when Dell and EMC merged to form one company, I worked with many of their leaders from around the world to become ONE united company and culture instead of staying and feeling separate. The key was communication, connection and commitment that built trust and cohesiveness.

And when I work with leadership teams, I always remind them that a team that’s not united and connected at the top of the organization will crumble at the bottom.

To heal the divide keep reminding yourself, your team, your television stations, and political leaders that we are not meant to be divided.

Keep reminding yourself and others that we are ONE, UNITED and CONNECTED and that we heal with connection and community.

We are better and stronger together.

This goes for relationships, teams, organizations, communities and countries.

United we Stand and Divided we Fall!

Have a great week!