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Why Being Helpful Isn’t Just for Nice Guys (and Gals)
Guest articles > Why Being Helpful Isn’t Just for Nice Guys (and Gals)
by: Lisa Earle McLeod
If I tell you someone is helpful, what image crosses your mind? Most people associate the word helpful with jobs like a crossing guard, or a traveler’s aide at the airport. Helpful people are nice to be around, but they’re rarely in charge, or so the thinking goes. When my husband I were naming our first child, we got a book that gave the psychological response to names. We were shocked to find that our chosen name, Betsy, rated high on cheerfulness and helpfulness. Our second choice, Elizabeth, rated high on intelligence and power. So dismissive was I of helpfulness, we changed our daughter’s name at the last minute. Elizabeth would never be a Betsy because I wanted the world to regard her as a smart powerful woman. Turns out, I had created a dichotomy that was absolutely inaccurate. Recent research reveals helpfulness is actually a key underpinning of success. In a recent paper, noted author and Wharton School professor Adam Grant
outlined a Harvard study of U.S. intelligence system. Grant writes, “The team,
led by Richard Hackman, wanted to determine what makes intelligence units
effective. By surveying, interviewing, and observing hundreds of analysts across
64 different intelligence groups, the researchers ranked those units from best
to worst. Leaders who want to create a giver culture must create an environment where employees feel their needs will be met, where people view each other as essential players in solving problems and helping customers. Thankfully our own Elizabeth is both helpful and intelligent. She never succumbed to the false dichotomy her well-intended parents once believed. If you want to create success, and happiness, spread the word. Helpful doesn’t mean subservient, it’s actually the fastest route to success.
Lisa Earle McLeod is a sales leadership consultant. Companies like Apple, Kimberly-Clark and Pfizer hire her to help them create passionate, purpose-driven sales forces. She the author of several books including Selling with Noble Purpose: How to Drive Revenue and Do Work That Makes You Proud, a Wiley publication, released Nov. 15, 2012. She has appeared on The Today Show, and has been featured in Forbes, Fortune and The Wall Street Journal. She provides executive coaching sessions, strategy workshops, and keynote speeches. More info: www.mcleodandmore.com Lisa's Blog How Smart People Can Get Better At Everything Copyright 2016 Lisa Earle McLeod. All rights
reserved. Contributor: Lisa Earle McLeod Published here on: 11-Dec-16 Classification: Development Website: www.mcleodandmore.com
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