LEARN TO ANALYZE DETAILS Listen To Entrepreneurs.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)

Byline: Amy Alexander

6 When it comes to analyzing details, it pays to hang with those whose take on the world differs from your own.

Artists, for example, have long benefited from rubbing shoulders with scientists: Just look at Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci, whose artistic achievements were often fueled by scientific observation.

In today's business world, executives at big, traditional companies have a lot to gain from seeking out entrepreneurs, says Donald L. Laurie, a Boston-based executive coach who wrote "Venture Catalyst: The Five Strategies for Explosive Corporate Growth" (Perseus Publishing, 2001).

Because of their independent nature, entrepreneurs challenge run-of-the-mill takes on data, decisions and details, Laurie says. That can spell rapid growth for companies, especially those that've reached a plateau.

Sure, entrepreneurs can be a bit odd, Laurie says. They don't always fit into big company molds. They often gravitate to risk and chaos -- the very things that large companies are famous for avoiding.

But executives who cultivate relationships with them through partnerships or venture investing have a good chance of accelerating their own company's growth.