Integrity, respect, and humility are essential to meaningful relationships because they build a high level of trust required to overcome mistakes and imperfections common to us all. A high level of trust preserves the relationship long enough for us to learn and grow from our mistakes and imperfections and cultivate joy.

Like cooking, there’s an art to synergy. It’s more than simply integrating the ingredients into a bowl. Mindful expertise and experimentation are required to achieve the right balance, preparation, and sequencing of each component (signature strength and flywheel) to create a new experience more excellent than the sum of the parts. Everyone has different signature strengths. Tapping into each other’s signature strengths creates a new experience and capabilities more significant than the sum of the parts.

“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, non apologetically — to say “no” to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger “yes” burning inside.”—Stephen Covey