One of the interesting phenomena of nature is the giant sequoia tree, which is the largest living organism on earth, reaching into the heavens nearly 300 feet. One of them can produce enough lumber to build 35 five-room homes, and you can drive an automobile through the trunks of some.

Most of us would suspect that anything this size would have roots that would extend halfway to China, but such is not the case. Many of the roots are aboveground, and others extend only a few inches beneath the surface. Interestingly enough, you never will see a giant sequoia growing in isolation; they're always in groves. Their roots are intermingled with the roots of other giant sequoias, so each one draws strength from many others.

That's teamwork, which is the key to success in virtually every field of endeavor. Even superstar athletes need coaches and support people. Singers and dancers need choreographers, writers, musicians, managers and staffs. Any business, from the switchboard operator to the shipping department, must function as a team for maximum results.

As a child, I read a story of a father who called his six sons together and gave each of them a relatively small stick to break, which they easily did. Next, he took six sticks, wrapped a piece of cloth around them and asked the sons to break all six at the same time. They could not break the bundle, and the father said to them, "That's the way it is with our family. Individually, you have a limited amount of strength, but when all of you pull together, stay together and work together, you will be able to draw from one another's strength and collectively do much more."

Follow that philosophy with your team, whether the team is your family, an athletic team or a business.

story by Zig Ziglar