COLLABORATION OVER COMPETITION: A 1830S LESSON THAT STILL HOLDS TRUE
- Christopher Adams
- Sep 16
- 2 min read
Two brothers-in-law—William Procter and James Gamble—were once rivals, competing for the same raw materials. With encouragement from their father-in-law, they chose to collaborate instead, creating Procter & Gamble, now a global powerhouse. The story highlights how collaboration and cooperation unlock far greater results than turf wars or rivalry. Leaders should intentionally create environments where teams must engage each other, share strengths, and rely on one another, because engineered collaboration can spark extraordinary progress.
He had two daughters, which meant he had two sons-in-law. Because of their businesses, family friction quickly became a real thing.
One son-in-law made candles.
The other made soap.
Back in the 1830s, there was one main ingredient for both: animal fat.
These two men—brothers-in-law—were competing for the same raw material.
Their father-in-law stepped in.
Alexander Norris told them they’d be better off joining forces than fighting each other. Not only would it be good business—it would ease the family dynamic.
William and James listened. They joined forces.
They used their last names for the company.
Procter and Gamble.
Today, P&G is one of the largest companies in the world. Their brands include Luvs, Bounce, Downy, Tide, Bounty, Charmin, Gillette, Old Spice, Cascade, Dawn, Mr. Clean, Swiffer, Pepto-Bismol, and Vicks.
This multi-billion-dollar giant exists because two men chose collaboration over competition. Their choice created not just a company, but a culture of shared success—an approach modern leaders can apply to their own teams.
Now consider your own team.
Are they collaborating? Or competing?
Do they share information freely? Or hoard it to stay indispensable?
Are they building each other up? Or protecting turf?
Turf wars stall progress.
On your next project, put people together who don’t usually work together. Force them to engage, brainstorm, and solve problems collectively.
Foster a culture where people work with each other—not against each other.
Don’t just preach collaboration. Engineer it.
Give your people projects where success depends on mutual reliance. Help them see the best in one another. Tell stories of great collaborators and what they built.
Who knows? You may have the next William Procter and James Gamble sitting on your team.
Unleash collaboration and cooperation—and watch progress you never thought possible.
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