We’ve all heard that old adage – nice guys finish last. But did you know? It not only applies to luck in love, but also in the business world. Seriously. Warren Buffet could not have become a business phenomenon and the richest person in the world – with a net worth of $62 billion – by letting people walk all over him.
But in their book, Nice Guys Can Get the Corner Office, authors Russ C. Edelman, Charles C. Manz and Newburyport resident Timothy R. Hiltabiddle – partners of Massachusetts-based consulting firm Nice Guy Strategies – stress that you also don’t have to become a jerk to achieve industry success.
Nice guys, the authors say, often get in the way of their own success – and the success of the companies and corporations they work for – by being people pleasers, not setting boundaries, and avoiding conflict at all costs. To help them overcome this behavior, Edelman, Manz and Hiltabiddle lay out the Nice Guy Bill of Rights, a set of eight key rights that correspond to the eight strategies laid out in the book which nice guys should adopt to win in business.
What does the Nice Guy Bill of Rights say? You have the right to:
Portfolio Hardcover, 288 pages.
1. Self-awareness,
2. Speak up,
3. Set boundaries,
4. Confront,
5. Choose,
6. Expect results,
7. Be bold and
8. Win.
To flesh out these ideas and strategies, and to identify the challenges nice guys face in the office, the authors interviewed CEOs and founders of companies like Dunkin’ Donuts, Monster.com, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Southwest Airlines. But they also consulted with over 350 “normal” business men and women – yes, despite the name, the authors insist the advice applies to female professionals as well – and throughout the book illustrate their points with stories based on these interviews.
These stories are perhaps the most useful part of the book, clearly demonstrating, in context, how Nice Guy Syndrome can backfire on a person’s success and, conversely, how by employing the strategies outlined in the book, they can work to a nice guy’s advantage. Equally as important, Nice Guys explains the motives behind the nice guy’s behavior, and the authors adeptly delve into the nice guy’s psyche to explain their actions. Each chapter also includes a section on incorporating the strategies company-wide.
Since I am not a part of the “business world,” I most likely would not have picked up this book on my own. But I was pleasantly surprised at the advice the authors provide. Not only are these strategies designed to work in the boardroom, but their common-sense counsel can – and oftentimes should – be applied to your personal life as well.
Book Review – Nice Guys CAN Get the Corner Office – March / April 2009
We’ve all heard that old adage – nice guys finish last. But did you know? It not only applies to luck in love, but also in the business world. Seriously. Warren Buffet could not have become a business phenomenon and the richest person in the world – with a net worth of $62 billion – by letting people walk all over him.
But in their book, Nice Guys Can Get the Corner Office, authors Russ C. Edelman, Charles C. Manz and Newburyport resident Timothy R. Hiltabiddle – partners of Massachusetts-based consulting firm Nice Guy Strategies – stress that you also don’t have to become a jerk to achieve industry success.
Nice guys, the authors say, often get in the way of their own success – and the success of the companies and corporations they work for – by being people pleasers, not setting boundaries, and avoiding conflict at all costs. To help them overcome this behavior, Edelman, Manz and Hiltabiddle lay out the Nice Guy Bill of Rights, a set of eight key rights that correspond to the eight strategies laid out in the book which nice guys should adopt to win in business.
What does the Nice Guy Bill of Rights say? You have the right to:
Portfolio Hardcover, 288 pages.
1. Self-awareness,
2. Speak up,
3. Set boundaries,
4. Confront,
5. Choose,
6. Expect results,
7. Be bold and
8. Win.
To flesh out these ideas and strategies, and to identify the challenges nice guys face in the office, the authors interviewed CEOs and founders of companies like Dunkin’ Donuts, Monster.com, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Southwest Airlines. But they also consulted with over 350 “normal” business men and women – yes, despite the name, the authors insist the advice applies to female professionals as well – and throughout the book illustrate their points with stories based on these interviews.
These stories are perhaps the most useful part of the book, clearly demonstrating, in context, how Nice Guy Syndrome can backfire on a person’s success and, conversely, how by employing the strategies outlined in the book, they can work to a nice guy’s advantage. Equally as important, Nice Guys explains the motives behind the nice guy’s behavior, and the authors adeptly delve into the nice guy’s psyche to explain their actions. Each chapter also includes a section on incorporating the strategies company-wide.
Since I am not a part of the “business world,” I most likely would not have picked up this book on my own. But I was pleasantly surprised at the advice the authors provide. Not only are these strategies designed to work in the boardroom, but their common-sense counsel can – and oftentimes should – be applied to your personal life as well.