Key Messages
Extroverts And Introverts In Successful Collaborations: How Opposites Attract And Change The World
Partnerships between people of opposite personalities can be incredibly successful.
For example, John Lennon and Paul McCartney created musical pieces together despite being completely different to one another.
While many partnerships between two similar people often don’t result in new insights, working with somebody who is your opposite will almost definitely lead to innovative ideas.
In the book, The Genius of Opposites, you’ll learn why partnerships between opposites tend to result in success more than any others and even how to identify your own personality type (are you an introvert or an extrovert?) Through its pages you’ll also discover how Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak overcame their differences and managed to revolutionize the entire industry.
How Introverts And Extroverts Can Work Together For Successful Outcomes
It’s an age-old belief that when extroverts and introverts come together, they can achieve incredible things.
And it turns out to be true!
We can take the example of John Lennon and Paul McCartney – two master musicians with very different personalities, yet they worked together to create some of the greatest songs ever.
The difference between an extrovert and an introvert lies in how they recharge.
Extroverts tend to get their energy from being around others, while introverts draw their energy from within.
It’s not too surprising then that these two types may clash when it comes to working together, causing a lack of collaboration.
But despite these differences, it is possible for extroverts and introverts to do great work together – as long as there is a shared vision that binds them.
The Nobel Prize-winning discoverers James Watson and Francis Crick are perhaps the most famous example of this, having made the twentieth century’s greatest scientific breakthrough – DNA – even though they had vastly different personalities.
Their story just goes to show that when extroverts and introverts set aside their differences and come together, great things can happen!
With The Right Steps, Introverts And Extroverts Can Glean The Genius Of Opposites In A Productive Partnership
Discovering the strength in your partnership by understanding and evaluating the differences between you and your partner is key.
You can do this by exploring how each of you respond to certain statements.
These statements should be stuff like “I am open to working with clients whose values conflict with mine” or “I can tell how a person is feeling from their body language”.
Rate whether these statements are true for both you and your partner, using something similar to a standard personality test.
It’s in these areas where you two differ that will reveal potential problem areas for you two.
But, before any of that, it’s crucial that both partners have a clear, common goal they are working towards- like Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak did back when they brought computers to the public!
Only then will the five steps mentioned help you reach what’s called the genius of opposites: Accepting the alien; Bringing on the battle; Casting the character; Destroying the dislike; and Each being unable to offer everything.
Accepting The ‘Alien’ In Your Partner And Welcoming Conflict Are Keys To A Successful Partnership
If you want to get your partnership or collaboration off the ground and running, one of the most important things to do is to accept each other for who you both are.
That means understanding that you may have different approaches and disagreeing with each other at times.
Don’t try to push your partner into doing something you want them to do and don’t give up if things start getting heated – a little constructive conflict can be beneficial when it comes to problem solving!
Chrysler was able to achieve great success because of their strong partnership between Robert Lutz, an extrovert auto executive, and Robert Eaton, an introvert CEO.
They appreciated each other’s expertise and welcomed productive disagreement which ultimately led to excellent design innovations.
On the flip side, when Jürgen Schrempp assumed leadership after the Chrysler-Mercedes Benz merger he didn’t understand this same principle.
He had difficulty accepting differences between himself and Eaton resulted in negative energy among the group.
No welcoming of conflict which can lead to stagnation and ultimately failure of a team or partnership as witnessed in this case.
Therefore, differences should be respected while having healthy disagreements is greatly encouraged – these are two key steps necessary towards building successful partnerships throughout life!
The Key To Successful Partnerships: Define Roles, Respect Each Other, And Stay Realistic
If you want to strengthen your partnership, it’s all about having clearly defined roles, mutual respect and a team-oriented approach.
Start by getting to know each other’s strengths so that you can put them in roles suited for them – maybe one person is better at keeping morale high while the other excels at organization.
That way, everyone knows their duties and responsibilities, allowing the partnership to reach its full potential.
Just look at what happened with Jack Ma and Jonathan Lu at Alibaba.
Ma was the visionary while Lu was more the planner; Ma was able to dream up big ideas while Lu then structured them into reality.
Though their personalities clashed often, they had mutual interests and respected each other which allowed them to make some amazing technological breakthroughs.
Remember also that no one person can offer everything!
You need your partner just as much as they need you – figure out what roles best fit both of you so that your weaknesses are complemented by their strengths, thus unlocking the next level of greatness even further than either of you could have achieved on your own.
Wrap Up
The Genius of Opposites outlines the importance of having both introverts and extroverts in business partnerships.
It encourages readers to take advantage of the clash between the two personalities, as it ultimately leads to a better collaboration.
By embracing dialogue about strengths and weaknesses, businesses can build trust and tap into creative potentials that may not have been uncovered if it were just one personality type working together.
Through this book, readers get an understanding of how important it is to draw on each other’s connections and strengths; as well as how to work in balance with each other, so that each partner plays a role in the overall success and progress of the venture.
