It Takes a Village

By: Jonathan Briscoe

The other night my brother-in-law brought my four-month-old nephew over to the house. We ended up walking laps around the block, doing what every parent, uncle, or grandparent has done at some point, trying to coax a baby to sleep. While we walked in silence as to try and not make noise, I smiled and thought to myself, it really does take a village.

Most of us hear that phrase in the context of raising kids. It’s true, you can’t raise a child alone. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized this idea stretches far beyond parenting.

It applies to business. It applies to relationships. It applies to life itself. In business, your “village” is made up of employees, customers, mentors, partners, and even the competitors who push you to improve. A strong company isn’t built by a single person carrying the whole load, it’s built when everyone in the village does their part. The businesses that thrive are the ones where the team buys into the same purpose, each person pulling their weight in their own way.

Family is no different. Raising children, supporting your spouse, or walking alongside extended family, it all takes a village. Sometimes that means stepping in to help someone else carry their load, and sometimes it means being willing to let others carry you for a while.

Both are vital. Both require humility. The real wisdom comes in knowing which role you’re called to play at any given moment. Some days you’re the one offering help, lifting, teaching, or encouraging. Other days, you’re the one who needs to accept it. Pride can make both sides difficult, but pride has no place in a healthy village.

The true meaning of “it takes a village” is that people are invested in each other’s success. They love their people, they want what’s best for them, and they willingly play their role, whatever that role happens to be.

So, my encouragement this week is simple: find your village.

In business, build your team and your circle of trusted voices.

In your personal life, cherish the family and friends who make you stronger. And in all of it, be willing to both give and receive.

Because the village works best when everyone shows up, everyone does their part, and everyone wins together.

I guess the question this week is simple, are you doing your part for your village or waiting on your village to do its part for you?