There is this book I have been reading, it's called "Give and Take" by Adam Grant. I believe it's a popular book that many have read and gained lots of insights from. It made me realize that success doesn't always come down to just hard work, talent or luck, but includes a very important recipe called "How we treat others". Yeah, you can rise in life just by knowing how to build a good relationship with people even if you are the least talented person.
I learned that there are generally two kinds of people in every workplace or field, and that's what the book calls the "Takers and Givers". I realized that I have encountered both of these kinds of people and I have also had both mentalities.
Takers Mentality:
These groups of people always focus on getting ahead, and always looking out for themselves first. They are what you would call "selfish". I don't believe that they are necessarily bad people, but rather people who see the world as a competition where only the strong survive. This reminds me of a line in a cartoon I watched years back called Shark Tale. The father of two sharks was giving advice and he said, "This is a fish eat fish world, you either take or you get taken". I believe this is the mentality of takers, they have the survival mentality.
Givers Mentality:
These guys operate very differently or the opposite. They focus on the needs of others, try to offer a helping hand as much as they can and most of the times don't really expect to get anything back in return. They are what you would call "selfless". Now these guys logically sound and look very stupid, and you would think that people would always take advantage of them at first glance. Nope, I have noticed that someway somehow, the universe finds a way to reward these folks.
You see, the world revolves around problems, and the system is designed to reward problem solvers and not necessarily people seeking to amass wealth. By the nature of givers, they always seek to solve other people's issues and this is the reason why I believe they will always be needed and searched for. The awesome part about these groups of people is that they don't just create wealth while helping, but they end up lifting everyone around them. If people are genuinely helping others in a workplace, you see that ideas will start to flow more easily, collaborations will get stronger and trust (which is a required character for success) builds naturally. One person's generosity can completely change how a team functions.
Where is the balance:
Of course there should be boundaries set, as bad actors can really take advantage of you if you are too much of a giver. You should learn to help others without letting yourself get drained. If you are able to find this balance, you will notice that over time you will build a strong reputation and network because people trust you now. So yeah, I try to keep this in mind that it's very easy for me to get caught up in personal ambition, but the real success which doesn't only come with money but fulfillment and a peace of mind is in how I will treat people around me on my way to the top.
When we do good to others, it's not just them that benefit, but we the doers of good benefit more than the receiver.
