Page 150 - Midas Touch

Bad Partner, Good Partner

Partners are crucial. For Robert, a good partner is, above all, trustworthy.
Of course, they possess all the skills and talents necessary to be his
partner, but honor for a Marine like Robert is at the top of the list. He only
asks from others what he himself gives. And that’s how you find a good
partner. I look for people who have the same values as I do. It won’t work
otherwise.

If you question whether you would be a good partner, maybe you shouldn’t

be one. Not everyone is cut out for partnerships in the traditional sense.
It’s next to impossible to build a successful business without relationships.
But you can do it without partners if you are capable of structuring deals
and bringing in the right talent for specific projects or developments. For
example, if I am building a new building, I will bring in the architect who
will bring in his team, and I will find the right contractors, landscapers and
so forth. It can be complex but worthwhile, because the entire

development is yours and you’re in control. So if you question whether or
not you can build good business relationships, then I think it’s time to look
in the mirror and ask yourself why that is.

One way to become a good partner is to ask yourself, “What kind of
partner would I like to have?” And then become that kind of partner
yourself. Integrity has a way of attracting integrity, not that it will happen
automatically. Some people aren’t necessarily bad. They’re just inept.

Then again, some people are just plain bad. It’s almost as if they can’t help
being that way. So I remain on guard until partners have proven
themselves in a way that indicates they are solid.

I’ve had friends and partners who have become adversaries when it comes
to a property. One friend went after exactly what he knew I was going
after, and not in a partnership sort of way. It was a shock, since I’d known
him a long time and considered him a friend. I’m happy to report that it all

worked out, but it’s something I learned from. I won’t mention his name
because it’s unnecessary, but these things happen, and it was a good lesson.
When it comes to business, people can be surprising, in every way.

On a recent episode of The Celebrity Apprentice, Niki Taylor was the
project manager, and her team lost. Instead of looking for someone to
blame, she took full responsibility for their loss and opened herself up to