The Invitation to Fly in a "V" Formation

I’m writing to you from Valencia airport, where I’m departing for England to conduct my first outdoor retreat for people who have decided to take some time for self-discovery and connect with an extraordinary experience.

While I was sitting and observing my surroundings, I saw a group of birds flying in a perfect "V" formation. What a luxury and wonder to witness this sight!

I decided to Google, “Why do birds fly in a V formation?” The result: “The V formation provides them with additional lift and allows them to fly more efficiently than flying solo. It’s pure aerodynamics. This strategy enables them to travel long distances with minimal fatigue. The lead position is taken by the more experienced birds, who show the way to the younger ones. However, they take turns to avoid getting tired. Caring for the group is vital, especially for members who know the route.”

Seeing this teamwork among birds got me thinking about how much I love working in teams and how fascinated I am by supporting people and organisations in their growth processes. I've always enjoyed teamwork, and I think it comes from my childhood. My mum gave us responsibilities, and each of us had a task: one would cook, another would wash up, and another would dry. If we had to paint the house, we’d paint together as a team. Yes, we had responsibilities from a young age, but this has made us leaders and resilient today.

But what does teamwork require? Thanks to my work facilitating women’s circles, listening to business creation stories throughout my career, and experiencing it myself, I know there’s no such thing as a perfect family, perfect couples, perfect companies, or perfect societies. There is no perfect team. However, experience has taught me that you must trust in the role each member is playing, just as birds do, and just as my mum trusted that we could do it.

Let’s learn from the birds. In Austria, the organisation Waldarapp fitted small devices on critically endangered Ibis birds to collect data. “Scientists found that Ibis frequently changed their positions and altered their wingbeats to gain aerodynamic advantage. They are apparently very aware of where the other birds are in the flock and position themselves optimally,” explained Steven Portugal, the lead researcher. This allows them to benefit from the updraft created by the bird in front, as the forward flight of a bird creates this upward air movement.

Co-creating new projects with others makes me think: by choosing to work in a team, you can go much further without getting as tired. Working in a team means trusting that everyone is playing their role, trusting in the talent of others, believing that the one leading the flight at that moment knows what they’re doing, and recognising that each bird is fulfilling its role perfectly. The V formation wouldn’t be possible if only the lead bird were flying. The V formation is achieved thanks to a team with a mission: to migrate, and they all work towards this goal.

If one of the birds loses synchronisation with the mission, the aerodynamics fail. I believe in teamwork within families, couples, companies, friend and communities. However, I think we must constantly check if we’re working towards the same mission or if the mission has changed. In a family, this could mean seeking the wellbeing of each member and living in love. To achieve this, if one of the birds is suffering, you need to sit down, talk, and work together towards the original mission. In a couple, the mission might be to support each other with love through all transitions. If there’s anger, frustration, or disrespect, you need to sit down and revisit the mission. This review pause is crucial to regain flight synchronisation.

In creating a company, the dream that united you at the start may change completely. The company evolves, and so do the members. If there’s no alignment, you must have those often uncomfortable conversations. These pauses, which I call “mission reviews,” need to happen as often as necessary. Whenever you see the flight losing its aerodynamics, invite the members of your flight to a mandatory stop, and invite yourself to do the same.

Am I being honest with my mission, or am I just floundering? Are we working towards our goals? What is our intention here? I got lost along the way. Can you help me? I don’t know how to do it this time. Can you remind me of the vision that brought us together? I’ve decided I don’t want to continue to the next city; I’m stepping off the mission!

All these questions and approaches require courage, sincerity, and putting ego aside. What I want to tell you is: It’s worth it to sit down repeatedly and ask: What unites us on this journey? My commitment is to write to you every Sunday and invite you to think outside the box. What’s yours?

This is one of those blogs I write from the spontaneity of existing and observing everything around me. I have a happy heart. I’m about to take a flight back to a familiar land but with a different mission.

Reflection Question:

How committed are you to the mission you’re currently working on? How committed are you to the family you’re building? How committed are you to the love you’re co-creating? How committed are you to your wellbeing? And so on, introspectively.

This week’s recommendation:

Observe, breathe slowly, look inward, sit in silence. GOOD PRACTICE.

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Amazonia Arroyo

Naked Woman

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