I know that right off the bat, some of you will disagree with the premise of this post because certainly someone from “that side” could never have a solid idea. That thought is quite common, and is likely holding many of us back.
In his book “Thank You For Being Late“, author Thomas Friedman posits five “killer apps that have immediate application to governing today“. His fifth one is this:
The ability to approach politics and problem-solving in the age of accelerations with a mind-set that is entrepreneurial, hybrid, and heterodox and nondogmatic—mixing and coevolving any ideas or ideologies that will create resilience and propulsion, no matter whose “side” they come from.
Whether it’s huge political ideas that could change the world, or a way for your local deli to make a sandwich a bit more efficiently, great ideas can come from everywhere.
I’ve said before that the smartest people I know follow both sides of the political aisle, and often are more willing to change their minds.
If you want to insist that good ideas can only come from your “side”, that’s absolutely your right. At the end of the day, though, people that can accept good ideas and feedback even from people that they often disagree with will generally end up ahead.
Great insight! I have often learned from people and groups that I disagreed with in many of their beliefs or ideas.