“Treat others as you would like to be treated.”
The Golden Rule is simple but powerful. Considered as the law of reciprocity, it can be found in some form in just about every ethical tradition. Variations of it have been discovered over the centuries on everything from ancient Egyptian papyrus to Sanskrit scriptures, proving that it is not only timeless but universal.
We were taught this age-old concept as children, and many of us have carried and practiced it our entire lives. It’s been beneficial to our personal lives, securing us meaningful and lasting relationships.
But how does it apply in the business environment? How can we uphold this rule in our professional lives and still have that competitive edge needed to for us to succeed as leaders? Here’s why the Golden Rule applies in the world of business and why you as a leader should be promoting it:
Building and Maintaining a Positive Reputation
First of all, competition can be healthy. You can still win without stepping on people, stealing, cutting corners, or cheating the system. In business, your reputation is everything. Without one that people trust and admire, customers won’t want to buy from you, investors won’t want to finance you, and vendors won’t want to do business with you. Treating everyone fairly will help you preserve your reputation.
Improved Customer Satisfaction by Meeting Expectations
Customer service is improved thanks to meaningful interactions that are sincere. When you live by the principle of treating others as you would like to be treated, you have the ability to see things from another person’s perspective. And in business, that means putting yourself in your customer’s shoes and recognizing their unique needs. You don’t need to predict what they expect from you; you only need to think like a client.
Creating a Motivated and Collaborative Company Culture
When you treat people well, they stay. By treating your employees in a manner that you would like to be treated, you realize that you want to feel valued, rewarded, and acknowledged for your efforts. And if you feel this way, then you people deserve it too. And you discover that when there is mutual respect amongst co-workers regardless of department and level, everyone is more motivated.
It’s essential to recognize that your ethics and values are directly tied to your long-term success. The Golden Rule isn’t just about mirroring behaviors or acting in a way simply because you want the same in return. It speaks of approaching people, whether in business or life, with the same fairness and decency that you feel you deserve. The Golden Rule is there to make us realize that we are all connected and equal.
We are passionate about sustainable leadership that uses meaningful processes. And the Golden Rule is one of those principles that we believe has helped us establish ourselves as leaders in business and executive leadership coaching.
If you’ve liked what we’ve said here and want to discuss further, we should connect: https://meetme.so/GregNichvalodoff
