PARTNER WITH OTHERS
WHY IT MATTERS
By definition, leaders work with other people. You can’t be a true leader by working alone. Leaders know they can’t fly solo and hope to accomplish all that has to be done. They know they will always be most successful when they can rally the support of other people to their cause. They work to create, nurture, and turn strategic partnerships to their advantage. Leaders that successfully partner with others reach greater levels of success than those that don’t because the strength of many will always be greater than the strength of the few. Leaders who fail in partnering with others will never harness or wield the collective power and thrust required to deliver extraordinary results to their stakeholders.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that partner with others believe many hands working together are better than a few, and many minds working together are better than one. They believe a group of people working together towards the same goal will accomplish more than anyone ever could by themselves. They believe that partnering with others will always guarantee greater results than working alone. They look for occasions to join forces with those who share their same goals and can support their endeavors.
Leaders that partner with others care more about getting the work done than who gets credit for doing it. They feel accountability to deliver results without feeling a sense of personal authorship or ownership for the work. Because results matter more than who gets credit, they are free to focus on getting work done instead of worrying about who does what.
Leaders that build partnerships know where the greatest opportunities for partnering exist. They know the goals and aspirations of different people and groups. They are expert at identifying common ground, shared desires, and work that will invite the most cooperation and the greatest potential for returns. They don’t limit their opportunities for partnering. They look to outside groups and organizations to find partnerships when it makes sense.
Leaders that partner with others enter into partnerships feeling a mutual desire to see shared success. They treat people with respect, consideration, and kindness. They give people a listening ear and seek to understand their feelings and perspectives. Because they work well with other people they are sought after when opportunities for collaboration arise. People want to partner with them because they know they will make the work better.
Leaders that partner with others are aware of the limitations and challenges that partnerships can sometimes create. They plan how to overcome the difficulties that can sprout from diverse differences of opinion, potential confusion over responsibilities, and possible faults in communication.
Leaders that form partnerships have a default setting that drives them to partner with others. However, they know partnering with others may not always be the right thing to do. They make sure they do their homework before a new partnership begins. They are careful and thoughtful in choosing when it makes sense to form partnerships and when it does not.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
By definition, leaders work with other people. You can’t be a true leader by working alone. Leaders know they can’t fly solo and hope to accomplish all that has to be done. They know they will always be most successful when they can rally the support of other people to their cause. They work to create, nurture, and turn strategic partnerships to their advantage. Leaders that successfully partner with others reach greater levels of success than those that don’t because the strength of many will always be greater than the strength of the few. Leaders who fail in partnering with others will never harness or wield the collective power and thrust required to deliver extraordinary results to their stakeholders.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that partner with others believe many hands working together are better than a few, and many minds working together are better than one. They believe a group of people working together towards the same goal will accomplish more than anyone ever could by themselves. They believe that partnering with others will always guarantee greater results than working alone. They look for occasions to join forces with those who share their same goals and can support their endeavors.
Leaders that partner with others care more about getting the work done than who gets credit for doing it. They feel accountability to deliver results without feeling a sense of personal authorship or ownership for the work. Because results matter more than who gets credit, they are free to focus on getting work done instead of worrying about who does what.
Leaders that build partnerships know where the greatest opportunities for partnering exist. They know the goals and aspirations of different people and groups. They are expert at identifying common ground, shared desires, and work that will invite the most cooperation and the greatest potential for returns. They don’t limit their opportunities for partnering. They look to outside groups and organizations to find partnerships when it makes sense.
Leaders that partner with others enter into partnerships feeling a mutual desire to see shared success. They treat people with respect, consideration, and kindness. They give people a listening ear and seek to understand their feelings and perspectives. Because they work well with other people they are sought after when opportunities for collaboration arise. People want to partner with them because they know they will make the work better.
Leaders that partner with others are aware of the limitations and challenges that partnerships can sometimes create. They plan how to overcome the difficulties that can sprout from diverse differences of opinion, potential confusion over responsibilities, and possible faults in communication.
Leaders that form partnerships have a default setting that drives them to partner with others. However, they know partnering with others may not always be the right thing to do. They make sure they do their homework before a new partnership begins. They are careful and thoughtful in choosing when it makes sense to form partnerships and when it does not.
BELIEFS
- You will always accomplish more with the help of others than you will ever accomplish alone.
- When it comes to making the work the very best that it can be, more minds and hands to do the work will always pay off.
- There is always someone working on something that would invite a beneficial partnership if you just look for them.
- Find people with whom you like working and who make your work better and you will enjoy going to work each day.
- Be the kind of person that people want to partner with and opportunities will flow to you.
- There are times when partnering is the right thing to do and times when it is not. Know when partnering should be avoided.
- The most important skill you need to develop to successfully partner with others is the ability to resolve differences.
- Partnerships can’t be about your success only, they have to be about creating win-win outcomes for all involved.
BEST PRACTICES
- Know who is interested in you work.
- Assist with projects sponsored by others.
- Create partnerships with a variety of people.
- Be open to the ideas and thoughts of others.
- Work well with people of all backgrounds.
- Discourage people from working in silos.
- Seek after the exchange of ideas and information.
- Build positive people relationships.
- Don’t ever be content working alone.
- Know when it doesn’t make sense to partner.
- Work with others across organization boundaries.
- Build people networks in your industry.
- Share your resources with other people.
- Form cross-organizational teams.
- Find common ground with others.
- Participate in cross-organizational activities.
- Know when to partner and when not to.
- Build strong alliances with others.
- Identify those who can influence your work.
- Bring groups of different people together.
- Create broad bases of support for your work.
- Know what is happening across the organization.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I prefer to find other people and organizations to partner with, or do I prefer to work alone?
- Do I believe work is better accomplished when I work with others, or do I think I can do it better by myself?
- Do I focus on just getting work done, or do I let getting credit or being in control limit my ability to form partnerships?
- Do I know where the greatest opportunities for partnering exist, or do I feel clueless to what is happening around me?
- Do I say no to partnerships that don’t make sense, or do I accept every partnering opportunity that presents itself?
- Do I form partnerships wanting to see win-win outcomes, or do I only care if partnerships benefit me?
- Do I try to be the type of person others want to partner with, or do I try very little to show how I can be a great partner?
- Do I seek partnerships with other people and organizations, or do I fail in my efforts to rally other people to my cause?
- Don’t spread yourself too thin because you form too many partnerships instead of being selective about who to work with.
- Don’t stick with a partnership too long if it becomes clear that staying in the partnership is the wrong thing to do.
- Don’t form partnerships that don’t really make sense, just because you are anxious to have partners.
- I learn from others in the organization daily.
- Project success takes priority over developing people.
- I can see the potential in others.
- I encourage others to come up with better ways of doing things.
- Honesty is indeed the best policy.
- I only work with those who create a win-win situation.