You see them all the time in business—two partners who are like peas in a pod. They talk the same, dress the same, think the same. They finish each other’s sentences. They have such a great rapport, it’s like they’re on the same wavelength the whole time. People look at this and think how cute. I don’t. I see a disaster in the making.
In business, you don’t want a partner who affirms your biases. You want one who’ll call them out. You don’t want a partner with the same skillset. You want one who compensates for your weaknesses. And you don’t want one who’ll create a safe little bubble with you. You want someone who’ll push you to keep learning, growing and expanding.
The best business partnerships are forged between people whose strengths complement each other. One who is more outgoing, a great salesperson, adept at building relationships. Another who is more reserved and thoughtful, who studies the accounts closely. Or one who is an innovator, the one who comes up with transformational ideas, while the other works with the team to grab hold of these ideas and turn them into money. Or one who …. but you get the idea.
There’s only one thing that matters here: can two people with different personalities and expertise play well together? If they can, they’ll always outshine Tweedledum and Tweedledee.