rnA book that argues that there is a better way than the ruthless, cut throat and self-absorbed approach to work and relationships that is often pushed as the best way to get ahead.
The Power of Nice
How to conquer the world with kindness
By Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval
Inspired Living, 2007
ISBN: 9781741750959
This seems to be an Australian printing of the ideas in The Power of Nice: How to conquer the business world with kindness audio cd, published by Oasis Audio, 2006 by the authors and Jay Leno, or the authors’ book The Power of Nice : Eight Ways to Kill the Business World with Kindness, published by Doubleday in 2006.
Based on the Nice People Finish First principle, the book sets out to show that the way to success is to be nice. This runs counter to all the books and common knowledge that says otherwise, but it makes sense. Having never felt comfortable with the win at all costs approach, both because it did not feel right and because it seemed like a good way to generate a lot of long-term negative karma for only short-term gains, I had resigned myself to not getting as far as I might. However this book, illustrated with lots of examples from the author’s own business lives, tends to show otherwise.
This is a fairly short book of around 120 pages, so it is a quick read. It is broken up into the following chapters:
* The Power of Nice
* The Six Power of Nice Principles
* Bake a Bigger Pie
* Sweeten the Deal
* Help Your Enemies
* Tell the Truth
* “Yes” Your Way to the Top
* Shut Up and Listen
* Put Your Head on Their Shoulders
* Create a Nicer Universe
The book makes a strong and compulsive case of using the power of nice to guide everything, from the way your business treats employees to how you negotiate. Filled with personal experience, I found it a very inspirational read and, I think, offers both a moral and more effective philosophy for how to run your life. The good thing is that you can read this book, decide to experiment and put it to the test to see if it works for you.
Given it is such a quick read, give it a go, try the ideas and see for yourself.