One of the few things I’ve learned in my career is that every Company is the result of the people that are working there, including the relationships that are established among those people.
For this reason, the quality of each person that is part at every level of the organization is essential.
Their cohesion is equally important, and the fact of sharing the same direction, the same methods, objectives, and their union around a system of common values.
And I grew up with movies like: “Top Gun”, “Days of Thunder”, and cartoons like “Holly and Benji”, where going above and beyond was a standard, stopping at nothing to be the best of the best was a way of being. But new generations are looking at other things: Climate change, sustainability, purpose. And that’s a good thing. But I don’t want to talk about that.
I want to make the point that the era of the great man, of individualism, of the maverick, who solves all the problems alone is over. Because today, work is a team effort.
You can be much more effective and get your job done only if you are able to work with other people. And I’ve made this mistake in the past. I acted without considering the collective will and the aspirations of the people involved in the Company. And I was thinking to do the right thing. But that’s just wrong.
This is why I consider the most valuable (and underrated) skill nowadays is not only, and generally how to get things done, but specifically to know how to get things done at your Company, navigating the complexity of the relations, dealing with politics, building rapport with colleagues, forging true human relationships.
In simple words, you can’t do everything on your own, you can multiply the impact of your work only if you are able to work with others. Period.