Teamwork: Our Neglected Superpower

Why taking part in group activities with others helps us feel like we belong and reminds us of the power of teamwork

My teammates at ASICS. Everyone brings their own story and experiences. Together, we encourage community running to help people achieve a sound mind in a sound body.

In October 2019, Eliud Kipchoge became the first human in history to run a marathon in under two hours. Kipchoge is a phenomenal athlete, but he himself admitted it took 42 other world-class athletes to help him achieve his superhuman effort. Those 42 pacers played vital physical and psychological roles over that one hour, fifty-nine minutes and forty seconds. They enabled Kipchoge to benefit from a superpower our species has held for over 150,000 years. Working together as a group.

But today we are losing that superpower.

Loneliness is on the rise

A recent study of Americans found 39 percent of respondents were no longer close to anyone. And it was a similar picture for Europeans, too.

A 2019 TED Talk by Johann Hari summed up this situation by declaring, we are the loneliest society in human history. He cited our ancestors on the savannas of Africa, who were great at working together. They would band together into groups to hunt much larger and faster animals.

This was our superpower as a species. We evolved to live in a tribe, a community. But, as Hari concluded, we were the first humans ever to disband our tribes. And it’s making us feel awful.

The pandemic has only exacerbated this situation. Some of us haven’t been in an office - the modern social tribe - in 18 months. There is a way back to the past, though. And it doesn’t require a massive investment in capital or technology. It lies in deliberately reconnecting with our communities.

Reconnecting through running

Running, especially in a group, can help us to find this reconnection in our lives.

The physical benefits of running are well established; increased energy and alertness through the release of dopamine and serotonin, as well as conditioning of the cardiovascular system.

The mental benefits are also powerful, but perhaps less well known. As humans, we all have natural psychological needs; the need to feel you belong; the need to feel that people value you; the need to feel your life has purpose. Running with a group can help you meet those very human needs.

It’s often easier to complete a goal with others

As a running coach for Dubai Creek Striders, the UAE’s largest running club, and as a Global FrontRunner for ASICS, I’ve experienced the multiple benefits of running in a group. And in my role at Dell Technologies, I’ve also applied the essence of group running to improve collaboration and teamwork across the various countries and regions my job covers.

I do most of my daily runs in a group environment. Just like business, there’s a goal or aim in each run. That could be a time or distance goal, or completing a set of complex drills to improve running form.

It’s often easier to complete a goal with others, especially when the UAE weather is at its most challenging. This is also where motivation comes into play. On our long Friday morning runs, it’s important to provide encouragement to those who may be having a tough morning, helping them get ‘back to basics’ by focusing on their form and breathing.

Each running group leader has a responsibility to look after the well-being of everyone in their group, making sure they’re drinking enough water and taking on fuel to keep their energy levels up, with regular breaks to rest.

Success is collective

At the end of the run, we can all enjoy the feeling of accomplishing a hard task, from a 30-kilometre marathon run in the height of summer, to beginners achieving their first-ever 5km run. Everyone recognises success is collective. We worked together to achieve it, just like a successful team at work.

This sense of accomplishment helps meet those needs I mentioned – the sense of belonging and value. Ask any runner who regularly runs in a group.

Expanding your network and opening new doors

Meeting people outside your normal circle is another significant benefit of group running. Living in Dubai provides access to people from all over the world, each with their own story.

I’ve run with Kenyans, Japanese, South Africans, Filipinos, Brazilians, Syrians, British, and Emiratis to name a few. It’s an opportunity to learn more about different backgrounds and perspectives, which can enable greater perspective and humility. It can also open new doors.

One of my ASICS teammates is a deputy head-teacher at a Dubai secondary school. Our regular Sunday morning run turned into an opportunity for me to speak to his pupils on behalf of Dell Technologies about building a career in technology through the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics subjects (STEAM).

I loved the opportunity to share my experiences and passions with young people. That led me to further talks and opportunities with other schools.

Some of our most meaningful moments in life come down to connections. Forming friendships where we share significant truths about our respective lives, accomplish common goals, and learn about the unique journey of others, and by extension, ourselves.

Building deep and lifelong relationships

Running has the potential to build deep and lifelong relationships, embarking on a physical and emotional journey with people you may never have met if you hadn’t laced up your running shoes that morning.

We can be deliberate in choosing a life where we belong, where we feel valued, where we can develop purpose. It might not lead to superhuman feats of endurance like Eliud Kipchoge, but we can learn from Kipchoge’s own humility and recognition of the role others play in our sense of belonging and value to the world, creating our own superhuman feats in the purpose we define as most meaningful to our lives.

It’s time to rebuild our superpower. Starting today.

And it only takes a couple of steps.