Find Your Goby (Build the Partnerships That Power Your Career)

Success rarely happens alone. The secret is finding your Goby.

Eddie is struggling to find his footing after a recent promotion. Like many middle managers eager to prove themselves, he tries to solve every problem alone. He knows he’s falling short, but he doesn’t know how to change, and his boss is watching closely.

While preparing for a leadership training, Eddie turns to a story that helps him think differently about his challenges: the tale of an unlikely partnership beneath the ocean.

Penny the pistol shrimp possesses one of the most powerful defenses in the sea. By snapping her claw, she creates a shockwave capable of stunning predators and producing a sound louder than an airplane engine. Yet pistol shrimp have one critical limitation: they are nearly blind. Alone, Penny’s remarkable power is nearly useless; she doesn’t know when or where to pop her bubble.

George the goby fish faces the opposite challenge. With exceptional eyesight but little physical defense, he survives by partnering with Penny; George stands watch while she maintains their burrow and deploys her powerful snap when danger approaches.

Each provides what the other lacks.

Through this memorable parable and the reflections and exercises in each “Eddie” chapter, Find Your Goby explores how successful professionals build similarly symbiotic partnerships in their own careers. Like Penny and George, readers will learn to understand their strengths and seek partners whose abilities complement their own.

But partnership alone is not enough. Once Penny and George discover their strengths and learn to work together, they must also tell their story so others recognize the value of their partnership and trust them with greater responsibility.

Blending storytelling, organizational psychology, and practical takeaways, Find Your Goby shows readers how to develop their strengths, find complementary partners, and build networks of champions who advocate for their work and expand their influence. This will allow them to accomplish far more together than they ever could alone.