Wise Bread has an article on C. D. Spangler, the Harvard Business School alum and billionaire who was interviewed as part of HBS’s series on entrepeneurs. It’s a very good article that summarizes some of the advice that Spangler gave in his interview.

The article was particularly interesting because the author, Julie Rains, actually had a meaningful encounter with Spangler. She describes how this very wise and powerful man was willing to be patient and listen to the feedback of a young woman.

Some of the advice given by Spangler were specific for business and entrepreneurship, but some were valuable life lessons as well. One advice that Julie Rains wrote that particularly stuck out to me was the advice on stopping yourself from speaking first when you have the answer to a problem. The premise was that by letting others come up with the solution first and then supporting it as if it was their solution was theirs, a stronger sense of “team” can be established.

The last half of a 6-minute snippet of an interview was Spangler telling the story about this point. Basically from the story that happened some time ago, Spangler was working with a team of senior lawyers and he refrained from giving the solution first because he had the least seniority. Although the problem they were trying to solve was complex, Spangler had to manage the additional complexity of the social dynamics among the group.

This advice reminds me of the point that was made in a previous post about truth and the importance of impressions with people. Being right is only partially sufficient. Understanding how to use it appropriately in the context of social dynamics is key for success.