Sibling strengths and synergy

My last reflection focused on Moses’ unwillingness to accept God’s call. One of Moses’ many excuses was that he wasn’t “eloquent,” he was “slow of speech and tongue.” God was angered by Moses’ reluctance, but He did have a solution:

Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.” (Exodus 4:14-16)

God’s strategy is to use the speaking strength of Moses’ brother, Aaron, to give voice to God’s word and instructions. God would tell Moses, Moses would tell Aaron, and Aaron would tell Pharaoh and the broader Israelite community. Moses has the words, Aaron has the voice. They will work together to accomplish God’s call.

One of the benefits of family members working well in business together is the use of differing skills and strengths to benefit the company. Siblings — and I include in-laws in this assessment — often bring a different but complementary perspective to the business’ needs and opportunities. One sibling might work in the office with administrative tasks, another outside or in the plant focused on operations. One sibling might work well with people, in supervisory roles, or in sales, while another is great at working with equipment, accounting, or engineering. One might be good with words, another with numbers. The point is that sibling synergy can create a distinct advantage for the business, while fostering a healthy appreciation for one another in the family. Of course, when siblings are not working well together, those same differences can create problems. But let’s focus on the positive!

How did you come to know the strengths of your siblings or in-laws, or a sibling team with which you are familiar? What business results or positive family events have you experienced or witnessed because of a sibling team that has complementary skills?