Iain McGilchrist, a British psychiatrist, philosopher, and neuroscientist, spent many years studying the asymmetry of the human brain. In his words, the difference in functions solved the fundamental problem —
"How to eat without being eaten."
These aren't simply two hemispheres. They are two entirely different ways of perceiving and experiencing the world.
The left hemisphere sees the world as a collection of separate objects that can be analyzed and manipulated logically. It tries to make the environment known, controllable, and predictable. Unfortunately, once it builds a model of reality, it begins to mistake the model for reality itself.
The right hemisphere perceives the world in its wholeness, ambiguity, and implicitness. It remains open to novelty and tries to stay connected with what always remains Unknown. The right hemisphere can make mistakes in its perception of a situation as well.
What matters is this: the left hemisphere is incapable of performing the functions of the right — and doesn't even consider them valuable. The right, on the other hand, can sometimes step in and perform the functions of the left, and recognizes the value of its contribution.
This helped me understand a strange pattern I had seen in business partnerships, when conflict emerges between two partners who, broadly speaking, rely primarily on left- and right-hemisphere ways of engaging with the world. I've watched it play out in others. I've lived it myself.
Once, my business partner said to me, “I'm the logical one, and you're the intuitive one.” At the time, I could never understand why he failed to notice or value my contribution, while I noticed and valued his.
As a result, our partnership kept stumbling. We made costly mistakes that I often sensed in advance but couldn't prove to him in iron-clad terms. After all, they were just my “vague feelings,” “paranoid fantasies,” and “unclear hunches.”
Many years later, we met again, and my former partner was genuinely curious about the way I perceive the world. Experience had taught him that one person's advantage lies in the other person's difference.
Differences between partners are essential for stable, rapid business growth. But everything depends on maturity.
Want a simple indicator?
Ask whether each partner is genuinely grateful that fate brought him someone who is nothing like him.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
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