Becoming a Go Giver

Recently I attended a presentation by Bob Burg. Bob and John David Mann are the authors of "The Go Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea".

Bob talked about learning the skill of not thinking of yourself and thinking about adding value to the other person in order to increase your business. His book outlines the "Five Laws of Stratospheric Success":

1. Value: Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value then you take in payment.

2. Compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.

3. Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first.

4. Authenticity: The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.

5. Receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

Their theory makes so much sense. Genuinely caring about the people you serve is the best way to ultimately be successful. Go Givers are people with high values. We trust and respect them.

Although the Go Giver philosophy is designed for professional success, I believe the "Five Laws" will assist people to be able to have successful relationships in their personal lives. The concept is the same: Think about others' needs before your own. For me, that's all about core values and it's why I wrote the "Don't Be That KID!" Series.

If we begin to instill values like honesty, respect, responsibility, kindness and cooperation when children are young, becoming a Go Giver, whether in business or personal lives, will be natural.