Working Together

Book excerpt: Dig deep and you will find the most compelling argument for working together: Happiness. In business there are always unique individual achievers, but pull down the veil and you'll often find someone alongside them. Michael Eisner does just that in Working Together. Using his own collaboration with Frank Wells at Disney as a launching point for examining other famously successful partnerships, Eisner offers us an intimate and deeply personal look at some of the most rewarding business partnerships, uncovering what makes them tick and offering unconventional wisdom and unexpected insights. In this essential book for businesspeople everywhere, Eisner shines a light on these startlingly long-lasting and enriching partnerships, weaving together ten separate narratives—from investment gurus to entertainment impresarios, from fashion designers to big-box retailers—into a larger story about the true nature of achievement in life and in business. Ten Stories, Ten Magical Partnerships: Michael D. Eisner and Frank Wells (Disney) Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger (Berkshire Hathaway) Bill and Melinda Gates (The Gates Foundation) Brian Grazer and Ron Howard (Imagine Entertainment) Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti (Valentino) Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell (Studio 54) Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus (The Home Depot) Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken (restaurateurs) Joe Torre and Don Zimmer (New York Yankees) John Angelo and Michael Gordon (finance) Collectively, the stories you're about to read form a blueprint for building partnerships that matter, that last, and that allow each of us to do our very best work.