Unless you live in a cave somewhere, you probably know that Republican Presidential nominee John McCain selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his Vice Presidential running mate. This selection has totally changed the political landscape and has seen McCain make up a lot of ground in the poles and even moved him ahead of Democratic hopeful Barack Obama in many poles. In the case of McCain and Palin, it appears that 1 + 1 = 3.The reason I bring this up is not to debate politics, but rather to point out a valuable leadership lesson. Whether you love him or whether you hate him, John McCain did something very smart. He selected someone who would complement him, someone who would provide strengths where he is weak.
It takes a leader who is sure of himself/herself to do this...someone who is secure in who they are. I have known many leaders who wanted to surround themselves only with people who agreed with them. This did nothing to help their organizations.
When you can surround yourself with people who don't agree with you all the time and people who are better than you in areas where you are not so strong, it will make you and your organization better. Synergy will take place and everyone wins.
