When you think about all of the personality traits or habits that you could develop to be successful in business, which one doesn’t come to mind.
Whether or not you are kind to people does not seem to matter much in business at all on the surface.
But the truth is somewhat different.
In this article, we’ll discuss why some of the richest, most successful and famous people in the world consider kindness to others as one of their top business priorities.
You’ll find out just what the benefits are, and what can happen in business if you aren’t kind to others.
The Successful Businessman
The shark investor or the grouchy businessman are common themes in books and movies, but the truth is, most successful people are well known for being kind to other people.
That’s because they have learned that in the long run, it nets them more rewards.
If you look at Elon Musk, Larry Page, Richard Branson, Warren Buffett or any of the big millionaires out there, you’ll find that they value kindness and decency in themselves and people around them just as much as programming ability or education.
So, why is this the case?
Simple – leadership.
When you are nice to other people, but still stand out as someone to be respected and admired, you have figured out one of the most effective leadership models out there.
People will follow someone that treats them with kindness.
They will work harder for you.
They won’t mind sharing their ideas with you.
In general, you just do better in business when this happens.
What Happens When You’re Not Kind?
So, what happens when you are not kind?
You might be able to get people to work harder for you for a while, but when you aren’t looking they are going to be slacking.
If you treat people horribly then they will find little ways to get back at you, and they certainly aren’t going to come to you with their best ideas, which means that you could miss out big.
Finally, think about the people around you right now.
If you were mean to them would it come back to bite you at some point down the road.
If you treat people well, there is a good chance that they will be valuable to you if you should encounter them again in the future.
This article briefly covers some of the 7 key characteristics and behaviours found in the world’s most successful entrepreneurs.
Read more about the other shared behaviours of the rich and successful in our eBook. It’s called “7 Steps to Entrepreneurial Success”.
