A Lone Wolf Still Needs A Team

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I have always considered myself a lone wolf, a person who prefers to act on his own initiative and determination. I’ve never viewed this personal characterization as a sign of weakness, an impediment to my future growth. It’s my badge of honor, a testament to my strength of conviction, or so I believed. But is it a positive trait, or is it a consequence of my journey, a pathology molded by life’s experiences. Maybe it’s a combination of both?

I’ve never had a close group of confidants to confide in, to seek counsel from. Certainly my parents never played that role. From a very young age, it was clear that I was the captain of my own ship, standing alone on the bridge. Consequently, I learned at a very young age to make decisions and to act on these decisions. Of course, there were always those who preferred to play armchair quarterbacks, quick to evaluate and critique my decisions. Did their words negatively impact my state of mind? Hell yes! But these self-appointed jurors only strengthened my commitment to decisions, for better or for worse. It molded me into who I am today.

As I journey in my second stage of adulthood, my lone-wolf traits are part of my DNA. Now, don’t think that true north for my compass is purely based on emotional gut feel. I venture to guess that the time and effort I spend to dig deep, to explore the world I live in, and to understand what goes on between my ears and in my heart, far surpass similar efforts by most people. And to be honest, if need be, I will do it on my own. But that begs the question; do I still need a team of advisors, a support group of believers?

Call me selfish, arrogant, closed-minded, and inflexible; I don’t really care whether others understand or even care to understand. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to have a small team of advisors. But here’s where the rub comes in. To be my adviser, don’t question the purpose or need for the journey. That really is not debatable; it’s the essence of who I am. My advisers must be first and foremost, my cheerleaders. Their primary purposes are to push me harder, give me high-fives, moral support, and a kick in the butt when I need it. Their secondary purpose is to provide me tactical advice; suggested corrections in navigational decisions, and to help me build skills that are underdeveloped or lacking in my repertoire. That’s it; these are the job requirements for my team members. Did I already say these requirements are not debatable? If you are comfortable with these roles; no, if you believe in these roles, I want you. If not, leave me to my own devise; I need to howl at the moon.

#Team #supporters #advisors