I'm sick of the lie we've been fed that success is zero-sum.
It's not just wrong - it's a prison that keeps achievement small.
When you believe that others must lose for you to win, you become the very thing holding your success hostage.
The Fear-Based (Most People):
•Hoard information like it's gold in a depression
•Network only with people who can "do something for them"
•Hide their methods to maintain their "edge"
•Secretly resent others' success
•Constantly look over their shoulder for who might "steal" their ideas
The Abundance-Driven (The Few):
•Share insights generously, knowing ideas multiply when divided
•Connect people without expecting commission
•Document their processes publicly
•Genuinely celebrate when peers succeed
•Focus on creating rather than protecting
My Radical Partnership Approach:
1/ Total transparency about objectives: I tell others what I want and what they'll get. People who find this uncomfortable aren't my people.
2/ Firm vision, flexible path I know where we're headed, but I'm not precious about exactly how we get there. Ego-driven people hate this approach.
3/ Extreme front-loaded value: I give significantly before asking for anything. This filters out transactional thinkers immediately.
4/ Brutal honesty about results: I share what's working AND failing in the partnership.
Every Sunday for months, I've featured other leadership creators' content.
"Are you insane?" people tell me. "You're sending your audience to competitors!"
What they don't understand:
•I learn constantly from these creators.
•My community gets enriched by diverse insights.
•These creators gain exposure to a new audience.
•The relationships I've built bring more fulfillment than any viral post.
The irony?
My audience has grown faster since I started highlighting others.
Look, I get it.
When resources feel limited, protection seems logical.
But that thinking is history, dead and buried.
The best leaders I know aren't climbing ladders - they're building elevators and bringing others up with them.
If that sounds naive to you, we're probably not meant to work together.
And that's perfectly fine.
The real career hack isn't networking, credentials, or even skills.
It's refusing to believe that someone else's gain is your loss.
Choose your path - but know that scarcity thinking is a choice, not a reality.
My colleagues Steve Huynh, Rajdeep Saha, and Ethan Evans are all sharing insights on forming great partnerships. Check out their perspectives.