Operating beyond independence
Over the last four and half years, the Rise and Shine column has kept discussing the importance of gaining one’s independence. While we have indirectly hinted on the need to build partnerships, personal networks and so on, we have not directly addressed the importance of interdependence.
Today, we will dwell on interdependence, arguing how greater interdependence is than independence and how you can sustain your success if you believe in and constantly practice interdependence.
The biggest losers are those that are always dependent on others. Such people always settle for the bare minimum and they have no inner zeal to hope for big things. If your general approach to life is to depend on others, forget about success. To begin to succeed, you need to value independence. Seek independence and achieve a sense of independence.
But once you achieve independence, where you are able to fend for yourself and where you are able to rely largely on yourself rather than on others like your parents, your brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts and neighbours and work colleagues and friends, you then need to raise the platform on which you operate to achieve greater success.
Beyond independence is interdependence. Look at the successful people that you know, they usually like each other more than unsuccessful people do. Successful people like to help each other because they know very well that they do depend on each other to succeed. They have mastered the reality of interdependence. In fact, societies that are very successful are mostly those that have interdependence entrenched in their DNA of working. They ‘breathe’ interdependence. They ‘eat’ interdependence. They ‘walk’ interdependence.
This means that anyone that wants to be successful needs to emulate the practice of people who are already successful, by valuing and practicing interdependence. Build lasting relationships with many people, especially people that will bring value to you not just in the short term but even those that may bring value to you in the medium and long term periods. This does not mean that you should ignore people you do not perceive to be of value to you. We need to relate well with people of all walks but we need to also face reality and we need to prioritise.
With interdependence, you are required to do certain things that help others without immediate or direct benefit to you. When you build this reputation towards people that you relate with or people that know you, it should not be difficult for you to also be helped when in need.
In fact, there are times when doing things together with others breeds bigger and longer lasting results. When we work with others, we usually achieve bigger things faster and with greater impact while using less effort and time.
You complement each other’s weaknesses and in the process become better and bigger as a combined unit rather than each individual on his or her own. The combined effort becomes greater than the sum of unit efforts. You even share risks by partnering with others with whom you interdepend.
It is now time to conduct self-reflection and self-evaluation to figure out which phase of development you are at. Are you at dependent phase, or are you at the intermediary stage of independence?
Either way, you must ultimately aim to achieve and operate at interdependence level. Take some time out to carry out this evaluation and then develop a personal development plan that will help you achieve this goal.
Next week, we will share some real life examples that clearly illustrate the benefits of interdependence. Good luck as you rise and shine through interdependence!
