Robert Frost was condemning fences when he wrote Mending Wall.* The most famous line in the poem reads, “Good fences make good neighbors.” But Frost didn’t say those words, his ignorant neighbor did.
The first line of the poem reads: “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.”
Later in the poem, Frost writes:
“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That wants it down.’ I could say ‘Elves’ to him,
But it’s not elves exactly, and I’d rather
He said it for himself.”
Frost hints that savages mend walls. His neighbor is portrayed as ignorant. At one point, he comments:
“There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.”
In the end, the neighbor rejects the invitation and stubbornly persists, “Good fences make good neighbors.”
Not Fences
Sun Tzu wrote: “…supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.”
Fence-builders experience struggle and stress. Seek connection before choosing barriers.
Alliances surpass fences.
Alliances
- Neutralize threats.
- Multiply impact.
- Expand capacity.
- Reduce unnecessary conflict.
- Maximize resources.
- Fill in gaps.
- Extend reach.
- Open doors.
Insecurity isolates. Confidence collaborates.
Build coalitions across departments, organizations, or even with competitors—when trust and alignment exist.
Ensure mutual benefit and unifying goals. Ask: What does success look like for both of us?
Be the Ally You Seek
Attract allies by being trustworthy, competent, and generous.
Invest in others’ success. Protect their interests. Keep your word.
Courage builds alliances. Savages build walls.
Who could benefit from your strengths?
How could someone else expand your capacity?
Five Ways to Turn Adversaries into Allies – Leadership Freak
Resource: Adversaries to Allies by Bob Burg
*Read Mending Wall
