Fellowship Hexagram: What Makes People Achieve Great Things — The Power of Like-Minded Allies

The Hexagram of Fellowship follows the Hexagram of Treading. Treading means walking the path; once you’ve walked it, you need to find people to walk with you.

The Hexagram of Fellowship is all about "finding like-minded companions" — people who share your goals and values coming together to build a career.

The Imagery of the Fellowship Hexagram

It consists of Qian (The Creative) above and Li (The Clinging) below — heaven above, fire below. Fire naturally rises upward, and heaven also moves upward. Since both move in the same direction, they can travel together. This is what "fellowship" means: people with aligned goals gathering together.

Wen Laoshi notes that the Fellowship Hexagram is different from the Holding Together Hexagram. The Holding Together Hexagram is about "close bonding" — drawing near and attaching to others; the Fellowship Hexagram is about "sharing the same goal and vision" — aligned objectives and shared values. Holding Together is rooted in emotion, while Fellowship is rooted in ideal.

What Does the Hexagram Judgment Say?

The Hexagram Judgment of the Fellowship Hexagram reads: "Fellowship with men in the open. Success. It furthers one to cross the great water."

"Fellowship with men in the open" means gathering people in a broad, open space. It’s not about forming cliques in small circles, but about finding like-minded people on a grand scale.

"Success" means smooth progress. When you find the right people, things go smoothly.

"It furthers one to cross the great water" means you are ready to take on great undertakings.

What the Fellowship Hexagram Teaches You

To put it plainly, there are three key lessons.

First, when looking for like-minded companions, judge by shared values, not personal connections. The "fellowship" in this hexagram does not refer to friends or relatives, but to people who share your ideals. You may not know each other, you may come from different backgrounds, but as long as your goals align, you can cooperate.

Second, don’t stick to small circles. "Fellowship with men in the open" — you need to seek people in a broad field. If you only look within your circle of acquaintances, your vision will be too narrow. Truly capable people dare to cooperate with strangers, as long as their values align.

Third, shared goals and values are the foundation, but you also need to be inclusive. The First Line of the Fellowship Hexagram says: "同人于门，无咎 (Fellowship at the gate. No blame)" — seeking fellowship right at the gate means you should be open from the very start. Don’t wait until you are very close to someone to cooperate; keep an open mind from the beginning.

A Final Word

The Fellowship Hexagram is the most underrated guide to cooperation.

Wen Laoshi says that people who achieve great things are not the most capable ones, but the ones who are best at gathering people together. And your ability to gather people depends on the breadth of your vision.