A Tower of Strength

I had the pleasure of seeing a very dynamic and courageous circus act at The Udderbelly Festival, at London's Southbank last week – A Simple Space, by Gravity and Other Myths.

An 8 person troop from Australia who wowed their audience with a symphony of daring yet skillful acrobatic moves, relying solely on their own personal strength and the strength of each other. From human towers to skipathons to rubiks-cubing upside down, this vivacious team was world class.

So what makes a team stellar at what they do? Watching this troop in action, the winning formula was clear.

Strength of skill: As a group of 8, each person played to his or her strengths – power, agility, balance, rhythm and a head for heights, each player embraced challenges that fitted best with their skills.

Strength of support: To deliver an impact that is greater than the sum of its parts, people rely on people. This notion couldn't be more literal than in the 'catch me if I fall' physical support that this team provided for each other.

Strength of spirit: To be able to declare 'I love what I do' is as refreshing as it comes when we think of work. Beaming smiles, knowing grins and a healthy competitive spirit showed a team of people passionate about what they do.

Not everyone has the flexibility, fitness or stamina required to be masters in the acrobatics arena but we all operate in an arena of sorts. Whether that's serving customers, educating or caring, designing or creating the teams that pull together in skill, support and spirit will climb high.

A Simple Space is running at The Udderbelly Festival until Sun 24th May. So if you're in or around London and would like to see a team climb high, I strongly recommend taking time out to see this awesome act.

Caroline Laycock is a Director at Practically Positive, taking insights from Positive Psychology and making them practical so individuals and teams can flourish at work. www.practicallypositive.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Strengths