7 Habits--Synergy

The first thing I thought of when Covey began discussing synergy was the team that is the Army.  A synergized team becomes greater than the sum of its parts; I cannot help but think of a squad in this case.  Alone, each soldier is a rifleman, easily surrounded, suppressed, and defeated.  But together, the squad is a fluid unit with the flexibility to adapt and the strength to succeed in any situation.  Synergy on the squad level allows the soldiers to function as a single unit, with seamless communication and action.  But this does not come easily; it requires cooperation, time and effort for a unit to attain true synergy.  But that is especially important for Army units.  The squad is only the most basic of these units.  The strength of the US military relies on synergy throughout its unit levels, starting at squad synergy, which allows for a cohesive platoon, which encourages teamwork on a company level, etc.

I was also struck by the section about Lilienthal and the Atomic Energy Commission.  He took the time to have his group get to know each other before they got down to work.  In the short run this delayed results; however, in the long run it was much more effective because his group had true synergy and was very creative.  For a group to attain maximum effectiveness, its members must be close on a personal level.  This is still true of the Army.  A close unit with strong relationships will be more cooperative, work harder, and sacrifice more for each other.  Synergy is the lifeblood of the Army and as future leaders, is a principle we must master.