Giver Success Creates Value. Are You a Giver?
When the weekly Brain Pickings newsletter landed in my inbox, I clicked on their link that took me to an excellent summary of the book: Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam M. Grant, Ph.D. I have not yet read the book, however I found the review intriguing.According to the review, the book breaks people out into three interaction or reciprocity styles (Givers, Takers and Matchers) and how each one leads to varying degrees of success. What grabbed my attention was this quote about givers:
... But there’s something distinctive that happens when givers succeed: it spreads and cascades ... Givers succeed in a way that creates a ripple effect, enhancing the success of people around them. You’ll see that the difference lies in how giver success creates value, instead of just claiming it.
Givers are the type of people who use their own gifts and talents to "amplify the smarts and capabilities of others," like Liz Wiseman's Multipliers. In the workplace, givers share their ideas, knowledge, information, time and energy. They are neither doormats nor do they give for strategic purposes. I know many people for whom this is natural.However, each one of us can be a giver. It's a choice.A little story. I met Sam (not his real name) less than a year ago by a chance encounter, and he is most definitely a giver who contributes to the lives of many, without strings. He shares his experience and hard-earned wisdom, generously. Through his mentoring, we have learned to expand our ability to see more broadly and with finer distinctions. He's taught us a language to articulate what we see that provides clarity. As a result, we have become more skilled at our craft, and our clients and relations are beneficiaries.Sam brings out my best and my desire to pay it forward. Meeting Sam has changed the course of my life.We may never know the ripple effect our acts of generosity, kindness, caring, listening, support, and sharing of ourselves--have on another. When we give each other a hand up, it's a win-win.We feel good, we help someone else, others are happy for our success (according to the article, people tend to be happy for the success of givers), and it has a multiplying effect.Can you remember that special adult who made a difference in your life? The teacher who believed in you and your talents? The boss who shared her earlier career mistakes so you would know you were not alone? The important stranger who said a kind word just when you most needed it?The thing is, regardless of whether we are a giver, taker or matcher, what we say and do has a ripple-on effect.What a profound responsibility that is.
With each action we take, each sentence we utter or write, each tweet, FB or G+ post, we make a difference to someone, somewhere.
Each of us has the possibility to forward and change the course of humanity for the better ... We can leave a legacy that lives on in the hearts and minds of others, well beyond the death of our physical form.Recently, I watched an interview of a physician on one of the major news networks in the US, who shared the story of her near death experience. While unconscious, she went through a life review and saw the ripple-on effect of her words and deeds. She was able to witness at least 35 layers beyond the person immediately affected.What if that's true? It begs the question, "what are the ripples you intend to spread, even if you never know how what you do, matters?"Please join the conversation. Who has given generously and made a difference in your life? What was the effect on you and others?(For a terrific article that delves into the book, check out Kare Anderson's review in Forbes)