Working Together summary

Frank Wells and Michael Eisner had a great partnership at the Walt Disney Company: Eisner was the wild and creative CEO, while Wells, the president, kept the company grounded. Their secret was that nobody could get between them.

They had an unspoken pact that they'd always trust each other and stick together. This, combined with the fact that they genuinely liked each other, made their relationship very strong.

Wells and Eisner shared all their news. They always compared notes from their phone calls and visited each other’s offices at least 20 times a day. They also shared their frustrations, which made them easier to bear.

Wells also provided Eisner with a lot of support, demonstrating an important skill that's often overlooked: he was always Eisner's greatest cheerleader, enthusiastically promoting his ideas.

It was exactly this kind of passionate drive that became a crucial factor in their success. Wells was ready to do anything to help Eisner secure a deal. Once, when Wells was negotiating about the film Dirty Harry with Clint Eastwood at Warner Brothers, he agreed to play tennis with Eastwood to settle a dispute.

Wells was concerned with success, not the spotlight, and because he had enjoyed a lot of success in his life, he was very confident. He didn't feel threatened by Eisner and was happy to accept the number two position in the company. In fact, when Disney wanted Wells and Eisner to be joint CEOs, Wells willingly gave way to Eisner when the latter said he'd prefer to be the sole CEO.

This kind of humility is vital in good partnerships, because it eliminates any competition. Wells even carried a note from a fortune cookie in his wallet for 30 years that read, “Humility is the final achievement.” His son found it after his death.

A partner who's supportive, passionate and humble is a great asset. When partners can engage with each other without any underlying competitiveness, they can focus on creating success in their company.