One idea has followed me through much of my career: independence and collaboration are not opposites. Some of the most interesting work I’ve done has involved people or organizations that very much wanted to remain independent — physicians, clinics, business owners and community organizations — but still needed scale, infrastructure, relationships or shared strategy to accomplish things they couldn’t easily do alone.
The hard part is rarely the structure. It’s trust. People will work together without giving up their independence when they believe the relationships are fair, the goals are clear, and everyone can see the value. I learned that lesson a long time ago. I still think it’s one of the most useful lessons in business — and probably more relevant today than ever.