"No man is an island" is often a quote used in business, politics and even Saturday Night Live. Although the metaphor is very illusive, what it basically means is that people need to work together. They need strategic alliances.

But just what are strategic alliances?

Well, strategy, first off, is your plan for achieving a certain goal. This goal, preferably, is long-term oriented. That means that it is in the future, far away - like becoming president of something. Alliances, on the other hand, are bonds between people where either one or many people benefit. This can be tricky sometimes.

With that said, strategic alliances are bonds between people that help to achieve a certain strategy. Often times these strategic alliances will not necessarily be between people that like each other, but rather between people that have something to gain from each other's bonds. Politics is a great example of strategic alliances - where the "I scratch your back, you scratch mine" attitude is very prevalent.

In the end, we all need friendships, acquaintances and strategic alliances. Each is a necessary part of living a successful and happy life. Just make sure you don't have too much of one or the other and you will be fine.