As my business continues to grow, the number of people turning to me for advice on how I manage to build my success increases by the day. They expect marketing tips, how to convince investors of their cause, or how to position themselves as the prime expert among their peers. And while I understand that, and none of the aforementioned are to be underrated, I keep asking myself how so many people seem to forget the attributes that I think are the most important to build a successful business: Kindness. Generosity. Patience. Determination - the determination to be that person that makes people smile. To be that person that people know they can turn to for help. To be that person they can trust.

“My greatest strength is my team.”

The digitalisation of the 21st century has changed our way of working and collaborating entirely. We live in a fast-paced, interactional age that allows us to combine the competences of various individuals for the same project in real time without the necessity of even being in the same building. Why then should we continue thinking in the same structures that the businessmen of two generations ago devised?

The future of company structures is based on the principal of shared leadership. This means the greatest quality a successful leader can nowadays have is no longer the ability to assert himself, but to know which of his responsibilities to pass onto which of his co-workers for what project, giving them the possibility to grow by letting their creative input enrich the entire business. This kind of horizontal organisation leads to more dynamic structures of command, making the entire business more agile for new market developments. Plus: The experience of their contribution being appreciated also creates a feeling of loyalty to the team and the company within the employees.

“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”

It’s common belief that we live in a dog-eat-dog world, that the don’t-get-in-my-way kind of individuals are the ones climbing the career ladder. However, scientific evidence points to the exact opposite: a number of recent studies and surveys straighten out the misconception of how traditional capitalism has to work, suggesting that as a matter of fact those people who rise to the top are the most generous.

In the book “Give and Take” management professor Adam Grant of the University of Pennsylvania analyses three groups of people when it comes to interpersonal relationships: Givers, matchers and takers. Matchers are people who only give as much as they get in a relationship, making them feel transactional, and so their networks tend to stay limited. Takers put their self-interests first. This mentality harms relationships, as it increases stress and lowers the will for collaboration. In other words, these two groups of people tend to have middling to no success in the long run.

Givers however take initiative when it comes to helping those around them. They mentor, they support when they feel a colleague is overworked, and they emphasise their sense of loyalty by actions rather than talking. This gives them a larger network, making problem-solving faster and easier, and essentially making them the greater asset in their work environment. Why? Because if you’ve helped someone succeed with their own pursuit, they will most likely be grateful enough to help you in turn if they can.

“Give credit, take responsibility.”

Givers focus their energy outward, paying attention to what others might need. They ask their colleagues whether they might be struggling with anything, and even if they don’t know how to help straight away, they may come up with a solution later. But in order to do so, they had to listen first.

The giving approach also has an immensely positive impact on the overall brand awareness, as a company known to employ staff willing to go the extra mile for its customers will naturally encourage a long term loyalty of said customers: A 12% increase in brand advocacy leads to a 200% increase in revenue growth on average according to business strategist and author Fred Reichheld.

This “giver” mentality cannot reflect in the work environment only, however. To truly internalise habits such as kindness, patience and generosity in order to become more successful anywhere in life, you need to be just as caring and generous to your family and friends as you aspire to be at work. They need to become part of your private routine and everyday life.

Small acts of kindness such as getting a homeless person something to eat will let you practise true generosity, as you know very well that you cannot expect anything back. You’re giving unconditionally.

Make it your everyday mission to make someone’s day a little brighter, even with the small gestures, and you will learn true generosity. Constantly remind yourself to be grateful for what you have, especially in times of hardship, and you will become humble. The people with whom surround yourself will impact your own behavioural structures as well - spending your free time with honest, kind and giving people will naturally inspire you to do good too.

If you want to be successful in business and in life, my first advice is to aspire being the kindest version of yourself that you can be. The most pleasing 5 letter word is not “money,” its “smile.” Imagine what it’s like to be the reason someone smiles.