Now there is research to prove that “nice guys can finish first.” According to the research of Adam Grant (the highest rated professor at the Wharton School of Business) managers who focus on giving of themselves to their customers and employees are actually more productive than their counterparts who do otherwise. In his book Give and Take, Grant “incorporates scores of studies and personal case histories that suggest the benefits of an attitude of giving at work.”
In Core Strategy for Success, How to Lead the Pack in a “Dog-eat-Dog World,” Fred A. Manske Jr. states that having a “caring for others” spirit is a key factor in distinguishing an effective leader from an average one. “All other things being equal, people respond better to leaders who sincerely care for them … loyalty, teamwork, and extra-effort are all by-products of a ‘caring for others’ environment stimulated by the person in charge.”
Manske offers his own career success (CEO of a large distribution company) and that of other successful leaders as proof that being nice at work does not preclude being aggressive in achieving goals and holding subordinates accountable for results. “You can be both,” he says and “being both is the best of all possible worlds.”
Manske’s contribution to the field of leadership is in providing practical, time proven approaches for succeeding in business by being a caring for others leader. This is the topic of the May — June issue of the FREE Leadership Guide Magazine. The first article is titled, “Ways to Demonstrate Caring,” and the second is “How to Become a More “Caring for Others” Leader. (CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLES).
“The great paradox of life: the more give of yourself, the more you receive.”
