This is CEO member, Mariah Livingston. We have just completed the book, Things You Wish You Knew Yesterday, written by the architect of the CEO program, Craig Lindvahl. My favorite chapter in this book is titled “Four People Standing on a Street Corner.” I liked this chapter because it helped me see how important it is to have different kinds of people on a team. This chapter showed me how each person brings something different to the table.
The chapter tells a story about four people trying to decide where to eat, each thinking and acting differently. One pushes for action, one wants more information, one just wants peace, and one wants to have fun. As the book says, “You need Person #1 to move the conversation toward some kind of solution. You need Person #2 to make sure it’s an informed decision. You need Person #3 to make sure everyone is heard. You need Person #4 to make sure everyone has fun.”
I’ve sometimes felt annoyed when others don’t think like me, but this helped me realize that working with different types of people makes things better. One quote that stuck with me was, “Seek out others who are different than you, and invite them into your world. Once you do, everything in your life is richer.” This chapter showed me that surrounding myself with different people leads to better results. It also reminded me that being a good leader means listening, learning, and letting others shine, too.