“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’”
These are the words of the Canadian motivational speaker Brian Tracy, in a video I watched a while ago, and they’ve stayed with me.
Being top of the class was very important to the schoolboy version of me – a competitive spirit I initially carried into my working life. I know I didn’t always make the time to help others at the start of my career. Today, I have a different perspective.
During this holy month of Ramadan, which is a time of reflection and giving for Muslims in the Middle East and North Africa region and around the world, I’ve been looking back on how my mindset has developed since my career began. I would like to share my thoughts on why I now hold Brian’s view.
Helping others and giving without expecting an instant return is, I believe, a powerful act. It holds the key, not only to success in life, but also at work.
The power of giving
The most successful leaders always find the time to help others, no matter how much they themselves have to deal with.
Or as the author and leadership speaker Simon Sinek puts it: “truly effective and inspiring leaders aren’t actually driven to lead people; they are driven to serve them”.
Being a good leader, he explains, means putting others’ needs ahead of our own to earn their trust, and by giving them the support and resources they need to be good at their jobs.
Leadership expert Tanveer Naseer agrees, saying leaders need to “shift the narrative from what can I get from others to what can I give to help others”.
By modelling this giving behaviour, business leaders will be able to retain talent and reap the rewards of their loyalty in the long run.
To use the analogy that one very senior leader described to me, helping others professionally is a “long-term investment and the eventual payoff will always be far, far greater”.
Keep making deposits in this bank account, without expecting short-term gains, but be assured that, in the long term, the compounded returns will far exceed your expectations.
Putting this into practice
At Amazon, a firm commitment to the wellbeing of our employees is vital to our vision to be Earth’s Best Employer. And, when it comes to putting the needs of our colleagues first in the workplace, here are five things that I’ve found can make a big impact:
- The biggest gift we can give is time. We work at an intense pace at Amazon and everyone is busy, but it’s important to pause and find the time to help others.
- I often find that something as simple as smiling in a meeting or listening to someone who is having a tough time goes a long way and can result in lifelong friendships.
- I strive to serve my colleagues through dialogue, active listening and empathy. As part of this, I like to speak last in meetings, which allows other team members to express their opinions first and helps me to come to a better and more informed point of view.
- We can take time to share our network and help people connect, to make them feel more engaged during the working day. Mentoring and sharing your own experiences with others are also essential.
- Giving praise where it’s due as well as honest feedback in a constructive, respectful manner will also help people develop in their roles.
Personal reflection can also be useful. I ask myself at the end of every day: did I make the required deposit in this long-term bank account? Whom did I help today?
Prashant Saran, director of operations for Amazon MENA.
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