Business is a team sport. And the people that make up
those teams, complete with their knowledge and relationships, are the key to
sustainable competitive advantage.

You’re more likely to win the game if you build on their strengths and make
their weaknesses irrelevant. For that, you should understand some basic truths.

People are emotional. Some economists write like they think
it’s not so. Some philosophers think it’s bad. But it’s the way we are. Our
emotions affect everything we do and every choice we make.

People are perceptive and insightful. We notice things and
reach conclusions without the need for advanced programming.

People are creative. Human beings are natural idea
generators. Just let us show up and watch us go.

People are both consistent and inconsistent. As a species
we’re pretty predictable. Once we’re past young adulthood, our previous behavior
is a good guide to our future behavior. But individually we’re a source of
constant surprise.

People have knowledge. Knowledge is information plus
context. On a good day, we can generate wisdom.

People have relationships. They are a source of strength and
support and insight. They are also a source of biases.

People have lives. We have a life at work and a life at home
and a host of other lives. They are all in play all the time.

Boss’s Bottom Line

People are people but people are all you need.