The most productive alliance in business is when one of the partners is obsessed with learning new things as quickly as possible, and the other is inclined to master what is already there in a measured way. This kind of thrust is not something a person can choose on his own. On the contrary, the urge possesses him since childhood. On the surface, the two businessmen are as similar as two value systems, but with different philosophies, like Bitcoin and the U.S. dollar. In terms of BigFive's personality typology, one has a pronounced openness to experience - curiosity, adventurism, creativity, and challenging authority. The other is dominated by conscientiousness - caution, thoroughness, deliberation, and discipline. When openness to new ideas is coupled with reliability in implementing them, such a tandem leaves competitors behind coughing up dust.
Despite the obvious benefits, examples of long-term partnerships of this kind are not as common as one might expect. The fact is that the difference in the firmware of the worldview is so great that it is difficult, not only to accept, but even to assume that such dissimilarity is normal. Rather, there is confusion, irritation and aversion to the partner’s “perpendicular” position on any issue. Therefore, friction often arises, easily turning into disputes, and then, lo and behold, a shareholder conflict breaks out. The dissimilarity of personalities forms a fuel mixture, the energy of combustion of which can either be transformed into fruitful mechanical work, or blow up the engine to hell.
Such an alliance is not so much a science as an art. One cannot read a manual and immediately mold a partnership, symbolically, of light and darkness. To realize the value of someone principled Other, a person must grow and mature. It is possible and even necessary to make mistakes in this process. But only on the condition that an analysis of past false starts is made in order to learn an invaluable lesson from them.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the quality of your partnership?
Yours sincerely,
-Alexande
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