Yesterday, during a group accountability call with a few of my mastermind women, we talked about how in a group, you cannot go faster than the slowest hiker.
I liked the analogy, but I’d add something to it. You also need to make sure that the rest of the group is on board and supportive.
See, because the first images that came to mind when I heard the analogy was back to my senior year of high school. My school had the senior class go on a camping trip in the fall. And while most of the smaller groups did canoeing and portaging in the Boundary Waters, my group only hiked.
It was made up of about 7-8 boys and only two girls, myself included. I was small, not very strong (long before I started lifting) and had a hard time keeping up.
The camp counselor could see that I was struggling. Bless his heart, he encouraged anyone who was struggling to speak up. I found the courage to say something, which definitely not my forte in high school around people I wasn’t friends with.
The counselor asked what would help. I said, either removing some of the items in my pack, or a slower pace. Of course the boys didn’t want to go slower, so they offered to divvy up some of my gear.
But they did so begrudgingly. I could feel the energy from them, so negative towards me. I felt ashamed, uncomfortable, and alone.
While yes, you can only go as fast as your slowest hiker, remember that your hiking party needs to be filled with the kind of people who will willing help the slowest hiker so they can succeed WITHOUT making them feel like a failure for needing help.
Those are the kind of people I strive to surround myself with. Strong, beautiful, courageous women who lift each other up instead of cutting each other down.