Business Quote by Ben Horowitz
““Most business relationships either become too tense to tolerate or not tense enough to be productive after a while. Either people challenge each other to the point where they don’t like each other or they become complacent about each other’s feedback and no longer benefit from the relationship. With Marc and me, even after eighteen years, he upsets me almost every day by finding something wrong in my thinking, and I do the same for him. It works.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Hard Thing About Hard Things, 2014
Business relationships need tension to stay productive; too much or too little hampers growth.
In simple terms: Balanced tension drives success.
Key Takeaway
Maintain constructive challenge in teams.
Themes
leadership
feedback
productivity
Mood
analytical
pragmatic
Type
business
leadership
When to use this quote
- team projects
- partner collaborations
- mentorship
Key Concepts
psychology of conflict
organizational behavior
Questions to Reflect On
- How to gauge healthy tension?
- What signals indicate complacency?
A Different Perspective
Excess tension can cause burnout.
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![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)