Find a Class Near You!

T.E.A.M.

Together Everyone Achieves More

Most people have seen or said this phrase many times. It is the basic acronym for T E A M. It is such a simple concept—common sense most would say. I just have one question for you…”have you walked it?” Now if you are a graduate of our Leadership Awakening or Leadership Adventure…you would, and should, say, “why yes, Mr. Black, I have”. For those of you that have been through either or both of our powerful Leadership classes I have a follow up question for you…”Have you walked it in the real world setting of your life when things felt hopeless and helpless?”… Aahhhh… Can we talk?

One of the great things I love about what we do at Empower U is that we help people live what they supposedly believe. We can all spout words of wisdom, we can all play the motivational guru, and we can all be there to help those that need help but what about when things just don’t seem to be going well? We keep moving forward… We pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and we hit it again… knowing full well things are going to get better. We say the affirmations, we take control of our explanatory system and we keep moving forward. We know that hard work brings good luck, so we keep working hard and every-once-in-a-while… Life should be given a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness. Have you ever been there? You have been to the classes, you know what to say, you even know what to do… and you don’t seem to get a break… Are you with me? If not then possibly you haven’t been playing big enough or long enough.

It is times like these when we are asked to grow, to move outside of the comfort zone. Life is a great classroom and you have been chosen to participate. For those of you with a belief in God…

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

Deut. 8:2

At Empower U we like to use ourselves as an example of how to be and to live. Knowing that we are all hypocrites and our goal is to be a little bit less of a hypocrite every single day. We have no guru’s here at Empower U, we only have committed individuals who believe in playing big… because when you live your life like it matters… it does. We have the ultimate empathy for our students because we walk the talk and we walk the walk. Together Everyone Achieves More!

Empower U, and more specifically, Mr. Black is truly learning that there is no better exercise in the human spirit than reaching down and lifting someone else up. The great lesson here is that we seem to be on a side that we are not the most comfortable on… the side of needing to be lifted up. So for those of you who are walking in those steps or have at one time… or are about to… KEEP HOPE ALIVE! Remember… Together Everyone Achieves More.

When you have a mission in life… a purpose… when your vision is clear… when you have made and kept commitments to others… when you have shared your passion… when your focus has been unwavering… when you allow people to be a part of your team… things will go well… MOST OF THE TIME. What is a leader to do when things don’t seem to turn…? Remember… Together Everyone Achieves More!

You know what the best way to get someone on your team is? Let them know that you are on their team. When you do this, then there is only one team.

You know what the best way to get someone on your team is? Let them know that you are on their team. When you do this, then there is only one team. Team… one of the most overused words in the English dictionary next to Love. Most people have no concept what a real team is and what it can accomplish. For some of us, we are used to building teams or being the leader of the team. When the student is ready the teacher will appear. Is there more to learn about teamwork? You might say, “I have been to Leadership classes, I have had successful teams in the past, I have accomplished more.” Are you sure you are getting everything out of your team and allowing them to get everything out of you? Is there more to learn? Remember…Together Everyone Achieves More!

Empower U is so thankful to be on so many wonderful teams. Look at all the teams, as a company and as individuals that we get to be a part of: Coca Cola, God, The Army National Guard, Tony’s Fine Foods, Nugget Markets, Lahontan Golf Club, SBC, Auto Diesel Electric, Nabisco, Danone Waters, TAC manufacturing, American Athletic, Southwest Recreational…most of you know those teams. Did you know we also get to be on these family teams… Tom and Wendy Briggs, Mr. Stuart, Denver Passow, Mark Thomson, Tammy and Lindel Smith, David and Lee Wood, Rick and Sandy Lauro, Brian and Kelly Thurman, Lacey Rexroad, Doug and Natalie Herndon, Mike Catalano… The Smith, Bramble, Jones, Black, Leroux, Lachance families… Together Everyone Achieves More.

Here at Empower U we want you all to know that you matter and we are here for all our graduates and their families.

There have been some tough times in this country lately. The economy, September 11th, deaths, sicknesses, layoffs, business closures, divorce, custody battles… struggling to survive monetarily, physically, emotionally… It is times like these that we must reach out and remember… Together Everyone Achieves More. Here at Empower U we want you all to know that you matter and we are here for all our graduates and their families. It is easy to be a part of a team when things are going well… for some it is much more difficult when things aren’t going that well. It is at those times that we need to really remember one key thing… Together Everyone Achieves More!

For some leaders it is tough to reach out and ask for help when things aren’t going well. We might see it as a weakness or something else. I have learned that this type of thinking could be a slap in the face to those that want to be a part of our team. People gain so much from helping those they care about and respect. If someone were to give you a gift for a holiday or special occasion and you were to toss it back at them… how do you think that would make them feel? We do something very similar when we aren’t willing to accept the gift of a team member who wants to help us—and maybe—pick us up… help dust us off… point us in the right direction… and hit it again. Synergy… Together Everyone Achieves More.

So I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those team members out there that are continuing to help Empower U achieve it’s mission of making the world a better place… one person at a time. Those that are sharing our training with others, those that are actually sponsoring others, those that are paying for others, those that are out there with “No Armor on the Back” and pushing our training to help people reach their potential. For you… I am humbled to be a part of your team. Thank you for making a difference and living a life that matters… Because… Together Everyone Achieves More.

I would also like to give thanks those individuals that have helped me personally as I go through one of the toughest personal challenges in my life. For those that have wanted to be there for me and I didn’t allow… please accept my apologies, sometimes the teacher needs to be the student. You have taught me much and I will continue to learn from your wisdom. In closing, please know that Empower U is not an office, or a corporation or a tax id number… It is the hearts and minds of our graduates, their families, their beliefs. We are here to make a difference, please let us know what we can do to be better team members because… Together Everyone Achieves More.

With Passion-HBS

Scott V. Black
The Empower U Leadership Team
April 2002

« Back to Inspiring Articles