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The Best Business Strategy No One

Talks About
Published on June 15, 2019

Over the past few months, Iʼve been pushing kindness more heavily than
anything else.

For me, itʼs a crucial part of the legacy Iʼm building. I want to build big
businesses and buy the Jets, but I want to do it by being a good guy. I
have zero interest in building the biggest building by tearing other people
down.

The problem is that most people see kindness as a weakness. They

confuse it with being passive or being a pushover.

The truth is, people who view kindness as a negative are just insecure
themselves. You can only be kind if you feel that youʼre coming from a
place of leverage.

Thatʼs why I see kindness as a massive advantage, not a passive trait —

especially if youʼre a naturally “tough” person.

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As I go through my own life, Iʼm realizing more and more how kindness is
such a big part of the equation. Itʼs not just about sales and negotiation.
Itʼs not just about doing what you love. Itʼs not just about hustle.

Thatʼs why It breaks my heart that so many people think “nice guys finish
last.”

People donʼt get that kindness is the best business strategy.

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Hereʼs why:

1) KINDNESS BUILDS EMOTIONAL CAPITAL

If you give value to someone else first in business, you have the leverage.
I truly believe that.

Itʼs why I give 51% of the value in every relationship. Itʼs why I deploy
compassion when people are mean. Itʼs why I make time to interview for
small podcasts and blogs (even though people tell me itʼs stupid).

But letʼs be clear: Iʼm not Mother Teresa.

I just think itʼs a smart thing to do, both in business and in life.

The more I give, the more emotional capital I build, and the more my
reputation grows. If I want to, I can cash in on that — like when I have a
sneaker or a book coming out (even though I prefer not to).

Secondly, you never know where the people you impact are going to end
up. As they get more opportunity in their own lives, they might end up as
the CEO of a big company, or some other influential position — and that
connection could end up being super valuable in some way.

Even if they donʼt have a “high status” job, that “karma” from being kind

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could come back to me in a different way — like someone sharing a piece

of my content or telling their friends to buy my wine.

You never know what opportunities youʼd get behind your back by being
a good person. Youʼd never know what kind of opportunities youʼd lose
by being a bad person.

2) IT CREATES STICKINESS WITH EMPLOYEES

The biggest issue for most is they see bad behavior get ahead in the
short term. They see mean people in corporations getting promoted.
They see entrepreneurs who built big companies being rude to their
people.

And based on that, they get tricked into thinking being a jerk is how you
win the whole game.

A lot of companies get tricked into this too.

They get caught up in maximizing 90-day numbers at the expense of

how their employees are treated.

But if youʼre using negativity to control people who are working for you,
theyʼll build resentment thatʼll affect your business long term.

At VaynerMedia, our Chief Heart Officer (aka Head of HR) sits 2nd from
the top on the org chart. Sheʼs the 2nd most important person in the
company.

And if thereʼs ever any debate between whatʼs good for our people and
whatʼs good for our bottom line, sheʼll win that debate 9 out of 10 times.

3) ITʼS ALWAYS REWARDED

Kindness always gets rewarded. Somebody is always watching.

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People take notice when you deploy kindness and at some point, your life
will be affected because of it.

Even if youʼre in a confined space, talking to only one other person, that
person will know when youʼre being kind. Especially if theyʼre not
expecting it.

Even if theyʼre mean to you in the short term, you never know — they
might change their character 10 years later. They might become a
different person. And when they do, theyʼll remember what kind of
person you were.

The reality is, the amount of opportunity gained by good people because
of their kindness is enormous.

Think about it. How many times have you done something thatʼs affected
a personʼs life entirely based on how you felt about them?

It happens all the time.

Counterintuitively, the biggest reason Iʼm able to be so kind and generous

to other is because I have zero expectation of getting anything in return. I
donʼt expect anyone to reciprocate, and thatʼs exactly what allows me to
keep on giving.

And when come from that place, youʼll get more opportunities than you
know what to do with.

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To get a “behind-the-scenes” look into how we wrote this article, check

out this podcast.

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