How to build diverse partnerships that fuel creativity and growth

The best ideas seldom come from working alone. Some of the most innovative ideas are the result of unexpected partnerships where contrasting skills and backgrounds came together to create something entirely new.

Diverse partnerships challenge our assumptions, introduce fresh perspectives and drive creative breakthroughs. Here are a few examples:

Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo – In the 1980s, American musician Paul Simon collaborated with the South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo to create the album Graceland. Despite the cultural and geographical differences, their fusion of Western pop and traditional Zulu music changed world music.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield (Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream) – Cohen worked as a potter and later as a crafts teacher and Greenfield studied pre-med and worked in medical labs. They teamed up to establish Ben & Jerry's Homemade Holdings Inc. in 1978. Their shared interest in food and a desire to create a socially responsible business led them to build a global ice cream brand.

Reed Hastings & Marc Randolph (Netflix) – Hastings, a software engineer with a background in data and algorithms was the founder of Pure Atria (acquired for $750 million). Randolph was a marketing expert in direct mail and e-commerce. Hastings and Randolph met when Pure Atria acquired Randolph’s company, Integrity QA. Together they combined their expertise to create Netflix.

We can all benefit from diverse collaborations. If you don’t have a creative partner, you can still use a similar approach.

1. Create an informal group – Get together with colleagues from different backgrounds to discuss and work on problems. Meeting regularly can help you challenge your assumptions, and inspire new ideas and approaches that you may not have thought of alone.

2. Expand the diversity of your network intentionally – We often build out networks within the industry that we work in. But research published in Harvard Business Review* shows that CEOs with diverse professional and social networks drive higher value for their companies, by producing better innovations and more successful diversified M&As. So why not use networking platforms or social media to follow people in other industries or professions like the arts, social sciences, medicine or politics?

Deeper relationships and broader networks can inspire new ideas, challenge our existing beliefs and drive business growth.

* Research: CEOs with Diverse Networks Create Higher Firm Value by Yiwei Fang, Bill Francis and Iftekhar Hasan, April 10, 2018