Historically, mergers and acquisitions don’t work out. One reason that an M&A may not work out could be the motivation for the merger. At times, a large corporation, or personality, forces the merger. This could be seen as a hostile takeover, where the cultures don’t mesh, let alone both corporations’ strategic planning. Other times, it could be that a third party sees potential in acquiring a few companies, but doesn’t consider the human element.
If it is so complicated, how can it ever work out? What does the Torah have to say on the matter?
In the first verse of this week’s Torah portion, Vayigash, we read about the meeting between Joseph and Judah—a very tense meeting to say the least. The commentators point out that later on the split of the Jewish people into two kingdoms of the Jewish people—Israel and Judah—came from these two men.
The Haftorah for the week discusses what will happen in the future: The two kingdoms of the Jewish people will be united.
Unity comes when each side honestly recognizes that benefit of the other: what each side is bringing to the table, and how they need each other.
A successful merger is not when one swallows the other, but when each company brings out the best in the other.
In our own lives, we, too, need to be honest with ourselves. That is, when we admit that we are not perfect on our own and we gain when another person enters our lives and helps us change that.
It is important to recognize how we need the other person to reveal within us our inner power. When we see that we not only benefit from the other person but how we need the other person in our life, we come to not only respect, but admire them. We become in awe of how our lives are so much brighter because of it.
This is what the Torah is teaching us. We can be successful at the macro and micro level with every M&A.
Shabbat Shalom