We live in a world filled with strangers, and most of us are conditioned to fear or at least avoid people we dont know or understand, who might pose a threat, force us out of our comfort zones, or challenge us to question the beliefs and habits we hold dear. Most of us assume that strangers are a problem rather than an opportunity to learn, grow, and reach our full potential, and this view translates to our belief that the people we know best are the real keys to our success. But what if this isnt the case? What if strangers are actually more important than friends, and what if in order to succeed in anything worth doing, we must engage, learn from, and collaborate with strangers in new and compelling ways? THE NECESSITY OF STRANGERS makes the case for the simple, profound and counter-intuitive idea that strangers are a necessity for both our personal success and the success of our organizations, precisely because of strangers' differences and their ability to challe