Leading with "AND" (Part 1)

Last May, while announcing his company's collaboration with competitor Adidas, Tim Brown, CEO, and Co-founder of my favorite shoe brand Allbirds, stated he feels he wants his company to start:

“Creating a future that’s more about collaboration than it’s about competition…”

On so many levels this was a remarkable statement at a time when society as we know it has been reeling from a global pandemic and the civil unrest that has gripped the United States but has resonated globally.

Is this the future of business?

Competition has always been at the very essence of capitalist society and it has propelled organizations and individuals to new breakthroughs, unimagined successes, and fabulous wealth creation. Competition has been the hallmark of life on earth from even the most basic form of sibling rivalry to the largesse of World Wars; from athletic endeavors to the race for patents and trademarks; and from corporate mergers and acquisitions strategies to global trade treaties and tariffs. Not to mention competing ways of life from democracy to communism to authoritarianism, the world has divvied up societies amongst these competing methods of governance for centuries.

Is the tide turning?

I submit that collaboration is not a fad; that globalization is not a trend; that cooperation is not a disincentive to business or politics or self-actualization. Collaboration and cooperation are the essences to ‘win-win’ strategies long term. The word “AND” plays a huge role in the long-term health and welfare of individuals, organizations, and society overall.

The word “AND” can make a huge difference in how brands stay relevant, how decisions get made, how employees and citizens become and stay engaged, and how valuing the diversity of thought and ideas can create a positive multiplier effect on decisions and decision making.

There is no doubt that our lives and the lives of leaders are full of choices. Some decisions are binary - no doubt - but due to increased complexity, personalization, and nuance today, binary choices are becoming more scarce. What I am pitching is the need to leverage the word “AND” more often and reduce the use of the word “OR” in the decision-making and leadership process. I am also advocating reducing the use of the word “BUT” in all strategic and brainstorming sessions as it is counter-productive to the desired outcome: The very best decision or direction possible given the more current set of facts and the most diverse input/set of opinions available.

This is a time of anxiety and frustration. Through no fault of those who are affected, a pandemic swept the globe. The aftermath is breathtaking in its breadth and depth. Society needs to recalibrate to minimize the long-lasting impact and the fallout from the next one. It will take mass collaboration and engagement to confront these enormous problems. Leveraging the power of the word “AND” seems to be a good place to start...TBC...

Lloyd A. Perlmutter is Founder/President of Veritas Advisory, LLC and has been leading and advising organizations for over 35 years. Call 248-794-9673 to have a meaningful and powerful conversation.