Two heads are better than one, or so the saying goes. Despite our culture’s preoccupation with individual genius, most innovation is accomplished in collaborative, highly effective teams. Unfortunately, Jonathan Haidt, a psychologist at NYU, points out that human nature is 90% competitive, self-interested, and intent of pursuing our own ends. Only 10% of our nature is ultrasocial, demonstrating the ability to think and act as one for the benefit of the group. The question then becomes, how do we create cohesive groups that are prepared to act as a single unit? Well, the modern military has been training cohesive units and refining effective team building tactics for centuries. One of the most effective and commonly used exercises involves what experts call muscular bonding. Soldiers spend countless hours marching in formation and engaging in other tightly coordinated movements. After prolonged coordinated movement and collective rituals soldiers report to experiencing a strange sense of well-being, a sense of personal enlargement, becoming larger than life. This feeling and sense of belonging translates into greater effectiveness, cooperation and cohesion on the battlefield — a willingness to sacrifice and work for the benefit of the group.
This emphasis on the group over the individual extends to the way in which the soldiers are required to live. They wear the same clothes, often share open restroom facilities, and their cherished personal items are often kept out of public view. Military housing does not express preference, nor does it appear to favor one individual over another, other than perhaps one’s rank within the organization. Although the military is an extreme regarding team building, many other tactics are used throughout society to build group cohesion. Teams function better when there are activities that involve “shared attention” — focusing on the same information or object. Research shows that we learn, remember and act upon information better when we are in groups. Groups that can collectively prioritize their thinking increase mental bandwidth and process information and situations more deeply. Researchers suggest that almost everything human beings do today, in terms of generating value, is accomplished in teams and not by individuals. By developing spaces and situations that allow for unique and novel ideas to emerge, groups can think more efficiently and effectively. Collective intelligence is the key to achieving greatness.