"So admit it: You stink at some things. You have blind spots, weaknesses....  Your strengths are stronger and your weaknesses weaker than you realize. You need help. You are also precisely the help someone else needs." This tenet, offered by authors Rodd Wagner and Gale Muller, Ph.D., is the foundation of their book, Power of 2: How to Make the Most of Your Partnerships at Work and in Life. The 12th book in the Gallup's series, "The Elements of Great Managing," this book combines five years of research with case studies and anecdotes that show how we thrive best when working in partnership with others.

The authors posit that "we are collaborative creatures in a new do-it-yourself world," and point to how work place systems, technology, and even the built environment encourage people to work and live in isolation. Despite the plethora of evidence identifying the detriments of moving through life without partnership, we receive a multitude of messages encouraging us to go it alone. The research presented in this book confirms that having at least one satisfying partnership increases our satisfaction level and feelings of hopefulness.

Wagner and Muller, outline and elaborate on the eight elements of a powerful partnership: Complementary Strengths, A Common Mission, Fairness, Trust, Acceptance, Forgiveness, Communicating and Unselfishness. They also emphasize the necessity for equality, particularly in terms of attitude, in order for partnerships to be highly effective and truly collaborative. This means that in partnerships where one person is identified with the dominant structure (white, male, educated...etc) it's imperative that the contributions of the other partner be equally respected. Doing so requires us to challenge both the external and internal belief systems that value certain qualities and characteristics over others.

We invite you to visit Nanci's blog where you can read more about this insightful book and participate in a collaborative discussion of how it relates to our work and personal endeavors. 

The Many-Headed Hydra: Sailors, Slaves, Commoners, and the Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic
by Marcus Rediker and Peter Linebaugh

Offering an unprecedented look at the "lost history of the multiethnic class that was essential to the rise of capitalism and the modern, global economy", The Many-Headed Hydra recounts various uprisings and revolutionary acts by the dispossessed of the 17th century. The authors present an array of research from the Americas and Europe that details how ordinary workers came together across racial, economic, and national lines to form communities and cooperative endeavors, to the chagrin of the ruling empires of Europe.

One such incident involved a ship, the Sea-Venture, that wrecked on the shores of Bermuda during a furious hurricane. Depicted as a "microcosm of the various forms of human cooperation," the storm and subsequent shipwreck sparked a series of cooperative efforts by the passengers and crew. Once on land, they came together in an egalitarian effort to obtain food, create shelter, and form community. This movement to form a society that provided for all involved is one of many examples of what Rediker & Linebaugh describe as the formation of the "Atlantic Proletariat," in situations where "cooperation bound together many different kinds of people, with many different kinds of work experience: sailors, laborers, craftsmen, and commoners of several sorts."

The authors go on to outline how the driving forces behind these individual acts of rebellion and subversion impacted not only the American Revolution but also played a role in shaping modern day economic and political systems. They follow the thread of resistance, providing an essential understanding of the twists and turns that lead us to the point that most labor historians would call a "starting point." This book is rich with windows into sectors of our global history that have long gone undocumented or acknowledged. We invite you to take a tour of these radical and revolutionary ancestors with Rediker & Linebaugh as your guides.