Not since the ‘Brangelina’ break-up has the deterioration of a relationship been so avidly watched as Trump/Musk’s bromance breakdown. Like with many reality TV dramas, it has made for compulsive viewing.
I can’t help but wonder, though, could the friendship and business partnership ever have worked? And if so, how?
When Working Together Goes Right
Growing up, I was always told never to mix business and friendship, as the inevitable would happen. But is that always true?
Airbnb is an example of when friendship and business do mix well, as founders Nathan Blecharczyk, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia were roommates and friends to begin with.
Another example is Ben & Jerry. Friends since school, both mutually unmotivated by sports but inspired by ice cream, who created a brand that has gone from strength to strength (including their flavours) since their first shop opened in 1978.
Why, then, have those friendships bloomed while Trump and Musk’s has broken up? It all comes down to team culture and team dynamics in business.
What’s Key to a Strong Culture and Powerful Team Dynamics?
Let’s begin with clear values. Those that are understood, shared and demonstrated by everyone involved.
Example: Airbnb’s Company Values
Their values are:
- Champion the mission – we’re united in partnership with our community to create connection, which enables belonging.
- Be a host – we’re caring, open, and encouraging to everyone we work with.
- Embrace the adventure – we’re driven by open curiosity, hopeful resilience, and the belief that every person can grow.
- Be a cereal entrepreneur – we’re determined and creative in transforming our bold ambitions into reality.*
*Weirdly, they mentioned nothing about their favourite breakfasts in the explanation of this final value, but 10/10 for use of humour.
In the end, they all share a common thread — a fundamental belief that people are good and that we’re in this together.
Why Are Values Important in Business Partnerships?
It’s not enough just to have values. Or to make them look pretty and stick them on the website for all to see.
After all, values aren’t just words but a summary of the behaviours that the people who work for that organisation commit to using. Given Airbnb’s high rating on Glassdoor, you can only assume that people are doing that and it’s having a positive impact on their team culture.
Values can help guide people when everything feels uncertain. You might have heard of the term VUCA – short for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity – borrowed from the military to describe just how unpredictable business can be.
And while it’s still a useful shorthand, let’s be honest: if you keep repeating words like “volatile” and “complex,” everyone starts to feel like they should be stockpiling baked beans.
At Laughology, we believe language matters. That’s why having a clear vision and values is so important – they give teams something solid to hold onto when making decisions and adapting to change in any business partnership.
Our Laughology values guide everything we do, from creating content and engaging in customer conversations to making difficult yet necessary decisions.
What Else Contributes to Team Dynamics in Business?
Unsurprisingly, inclusivity and diversity, as well as positive communication and collaborative working, also matter a great deal to team dynamics.
Inclusion and Diversity
Whilst it goes without saying that this matters in terms of psychological safety, building trust, and a sense of belonging, it’s not just about the diversity of people but also the diversity of thought.
Cognitive diversity enables businesses to see beyond what’s obvious, encourages their people to offer a multitude of perspectives, and challenges unhelpful ways of working – thus improving creativity and cohesion, as well as adaptability and problem-solving.
Positive Communication
Whether it’s Charlotte’s 40th surprise celebration or the rollout of a ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ the success and impact of anything will be determined by how effectively the details were communicated by all involved.
Positive communication, however, is more than just active listening, asking curious questions or what we say to others; it’s also about what we do with the information we’ve received or shared.
Reflection is more valuable than ever before, as it’s something that, collectively, people seem to do less and less. Prioritising time not only to consider how we share information but also how we receive feedback is necessary to know how best to use what we have learned to build successful teams.
Communication done well is not always comfortable, but it is almost always successful in its call to action or positive outcome, even in the face of potential conflict.
Collaborative Working
Whilst these three points can (and have) been reflected on individually, the benefit of each depends on the success of the others.
Collaborative working requires all to foster a growth mindset. Done properly, this then provides psychological safety, where creative thinking can thrive, intelligent mistakes are encouraged, and humour and laughter are embraced.
The latter enables brains to learn better, think differently, and connect positively with other brains.
In Summary
All of the above work if they are consciously and continuously reflected on and done well.
It also helps to have defined roles, understand and recognise each other’s individual strengths, and a willingness to build on areas that require development.
It also depends on taking accountability for your actions and admitting when you’re wrong, and remembering that we’re all human.
If your errors have repercussions on those around you, the relationships will endure, but only if you take responsibility and carefully consider what to do next to improve the situation.
Could this be a possibility for Trump and Musk? I’m doubtful because, as Elton would say (or sing), sometimes sorry really does seem to be ‘the hardest word’.
Laughology has supported brands such as VMO2, HSBC and Starbucks through leadership transformation and cultural change. If you want to talk to one of our change experts, please get in touch with doug@laughology.co.uk
