Celebrating Communicators, and the Success of Teamwork

CSM Advancement Team celebrates NCMPR Communicator of the Year Theresa Johnson, center

I consider myself blessed to be part of a hard-working and successful team at the College of Southern Maryland, of which Theresa is a part. We all work well together, building upon the strengths of one another and encouraging each other to think and work outside our comfort zones to rise to our potentials. So, it was a joy to attend this conference and share in the celebration for a fellow team player and communication hero being so aptly honored.

When it comes to teamwork, my hero is John Maxwell. Years ago I became acquainted with John, having the honor to learn from him in person during several of his conferences presented in the DC area. My bookshelf is loaded with volumes of his teachings, with their share of dog-eared pages, highlighted passages and hand-written responses in the margins. John has been teaching the benefits of leadership and team building for years. He tackles the importance of teamwork head on, writing about its necessity for every kind of leader, and showing how team building can improve every area of your life.

Now I am enjoying a daily dose of his inspiration through John's "Minute with Maxwell." His morning video is as welcome a wake-up as my morning cup of Joe! Both focus me to begin the day: the java may kick-start my brain but John's explanation of one word sharpens my soul and influences the way I will approach my day. It enourages me to grow beyond myself and inspire whatever team with which I am involved that day. Sometimes by day's end I sense how the word positively affected my interactions; other days I see defeat in not allowing the inspiration to more fully impact my work.

Regardless of how I fared, John arrives the very next morning, ready to inspire me anew to reach that next level. That's teamwork: growing each other beyond our titles, failing forward together, and expecting more and the best of each other.

If you don't have the time to invest in digesting his books, his daily dose will get you started on the right note for the day. It's just a thought. Hope to see you there.

Here's to celebrating communicators extraordinaire, building teams, and making a difference.