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Nice Guys Really Finish First - Really?

How can anyone with the brain of apicked up as a youngster is a poor way
cockroach make such a stupidto shape your life into a successful
statement?So rang out the scorn of aaffair. In our conventional behavioral
killer talk show host on a televisionpatterns many mistakes have been handed
station in Cleveland. When I was on tourdown from generation to generation. At
in his city, John Kelly quoted Leohome you were probably socialized not to
Derocher who said just the opposite --ask embarrassing questions of your
"Nice guys finish last." Kelly alsoelders. At school you were expected to
quoted from books like Winning Throughmemorize the correct answers. And if you
Intimidation, Looking Out For Number ONEare like most people, you are still
and possibly, Succeeding With A Swiftwaiting for someone to ask the right
Kick To the Groin.John Kelly had donequestions so you can show what a good
everything except put a dunce-cap on mystudent you were.Unfortunately for your
head as he seated me on a stool beforewelfare, no one is ever going to ask
the cameras and, despite his completethem, since most of the answers you
ignorance of what I was teaching,learned in school are no longer
proceeded to ridicule my leadershipappropriate. Yet -- millions of men and
seminar for managers, pastors, teacherswomen who would never imagine crossing
and other professionals. He held my bookthe country by covered wagon instead of
up for the audience of some threejet aircraft, who would never take some
hundred people -- with tens of thousandsmedicine man's snake-oil cure, try to
more watching from their homes, andsucceed in life by using methods that
asked;Who can believe this drivel?were outdated a century ago. And then
Everyone on earth knows that a nice guycan't understand why they aren't among
or gal hasn't a choice in this lousy,the successful achievers.Today, men and
rotten world. You gotta be tough andwomen are having to cope with complex
mean to be successful. Everywhere! Howevents that are affecting their lives in
many agree with me that this stuff ismany crucial ways. Medicine, personal
nonsense? Raise your hands.That wasbehavior, education, entertainment,
premature since no one there had anysexual customs, engineering and business
idea what I was teaching in the seminar,methods are all changing more rapidly
but they voted as Kelly asked them to.than at any time in history. We no
Many had preconceived notions and aboutsooner get comfortable than life rolls
two hundred people in the studio agreedover once again, forcing us to learn an
with John. He then asked, How many agreeentirely new set of attitudes,
with -- he didn't actually say it --activities and relationships!And yet,
this dunce on the stool, but hisnot one of the changes sweeping over us
non-verbal communication made hislike Pacific waves crashing onto a reef,
meaning quite clear. John was all gearedhas such critical implications when
up to take me apart for writingmaking one's life count for something
something he didn't understand. Hesatisfying as the attitudes that people
pointed to the overwhelming number ofnow hold toward power and control.The
hands in the air and said; Take it fromJohn Wayne or John Rambo mystique (Tell
there, Doc. Let's see how you handlethe jerks what to do!) doesn't motivate
this rejection. He sat down in thecompetent persons any more. If it ever
audience, as all three cameras zoomed indid! For example, since the disasters
close -- to watch me sweat, I suppose.caused by fighting the wrong people, in
Because I knew what my program was allthe wrong place, at the wrong time --
about and he didn't -- I countered byduring America's shameful wars against
agreeing with the host. I said;If youpoor, dark-skinned Third World nations
consider a nice guy or gal a doormat, asuch as Vietnam, Libya, Panama, Granada,
wimp, a marshmallow -- I agree with youLebanon, Somalia and others, many
completely. Such a person doesn't have aperceptive women and men have lost faith
chance to succeed in a tough,in our institutions.We see Congress and
competitive world in which many otherstate Legislatures consistently selling
persons are striving for the same thingsout to the highest bidder, business
we want for ourselves. The tough-mindedorganizations disposing of the faithful
guys and gals will run over the wimps inemployees who do their best work at the
a very short time. I, however don'tdrop of a point on Wall Street, the
think of the doormats of the world ascriminal justice system with
truly nice guys and gals. I see nicetrigger-happy cops and politically
persons as competent and intelligentambitious district attorneys regularly
persons who understand the nature ofconvicting and legally murdering
influence, cooperation and persuasionunfortunate, mostly poor, minority men
power -- as those who;MANAGEwho couldn't possibly have committed the
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITHcrimes for which they are being
KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOMSHARE THE REWARDS OFexecuted. The very flexible morality of
ACHIEVEMENT WITH THE MEN AND WOMEN WHOprimitive politicians, greedy business
HELP THEM SUCCEEDCREATE COMMUNITIES OFexecutives, powerful governmental
SATISFIED ACHIEVERS IN WHICH EVERYofficials and existentially enraged
PERSON IS A RESPECTED MEMBERAnd that, Icitizens who feel the execution of any
said to the group, is my definition of aminority man whether guilty or not is a
nice guy or gal, of an authentic,good day's work -- is a weak reed upon
emotionally honest parent, teacher,which to lean.Every person with a
manager, pastor, military officer orsmattering of intelligence realizes he
what have you!I folded my arms and sator she is out there on the bubble --
back on the stool -- waiting, for I hadpretty much alone -- on his or her own,
said all I intended to in defense ofmuch of the time. Few of us without the
NICE GUYS AND GALS. So, I waited andsupport of government or great wealth
waited -- for John to rouse up from hishave the power needed to demand
confusion. I could almost hear the gearscooperation from others. Not long ago a
whirring in his head as first one cam-middle-aged local realtor told me of an
era and then another zoomed in on me andexperience he had with his youthful
then on to John and panned the audiencesecretary. Dan said that Dianne was a
be- fore coming back to me and John --hardworking, high-spirited employee who
for almost a minute. And that, is anwas competent and loyal enough to become
eternity of dead time on television. Thehis administrative assistant. He said,
camera operators were getting franticshe reminded him of the flippant young
when John finally stood, shook his headsecretary in the T V series THE
to clear his thoughts and muttered rightPRACTICE. But he began to notice, to his
on the air;Well, I'll be damned! I nevermiddle age displeasure, that she was
thought of nice guys that way.Mostdressing more and more casually, as if
people don't but we then had a greatshe were going to a picnic rather than
time on his show. I convinced him myto a business operation. So, he called
approach is by far the best way toher into his office and tactfully asked
succeeding throughout life, rather thanher to dress according to his code --
by clawing and screaming, trying tothe long accepted business code set by
defeat everyone else, destroying thesuch giants as I B M, General Motors and
relationships that create friend- shipHoneywell. The young woman sat silently
and love, clogging your arteries andas he spoke, but when he finished, she
corroding the plumbing that keeps youstood up and said quite pointedly;Who
alive -- with bile and acids boilingneeds this crap in an informal business
through your vascular and digestivesuch as this?Then she walked out of his
systems.John had the people vote againoffice, returned to her desk, and
and this time all but two men of thecontinued to work harder and smarter for
three hundred or so in the audiencehis small company than any assistant he
voted that nice guys and gals did indeedhad ever employed. As he related the
have a greater chance at success if theystory, Dan sighed deeply and said there
followed my view of sound relationships.was little he could do about her
They immediately saw the wisdom in myimpertinence, unless he wanted to cut
approach and I trust that you also shalloff his nose to spite his face. He could
understand it that way! The next Sunday,protect his ego against an outspoken
after I'd returned to Minneapolis, Igirl -- could fire her of course, and
drew my pastor aside, told him my talereally teach her a lesson, forcing her
and joked;If you had my percentage ofto take unemployment pay, a month or two
conversions, we'd have the largestof subsidized vacation, and get a job
congregation in the country!MAKING YOURwith a company that would not be so
LIFE COUNTThis course is about peoplestuffy about the way she dressed. But,
and about succeeding or failing in life,he would be the real loser. He would
since some degree of success and failurespend a month trying to find a suitable
are the only real options that are openreplacement, another three or four
to us. It is written with the knowledgemonths trying to help the newcomer learn
that neither power nor pleasure existsthe job, and another six months blaming
in a vacuum. Virtually everything goodhimself for letting his ego cost him a
we do in life requires the cooperationyear's efficiency in his office. He kept
of people in different ways. And everyhis mouth shut and retained a great
one of them has his or her own agendaassistant -- for he lacked the power to
that is personally important.Therefore,make her comply with his
you will have to overpower, out-skill,requirements.Indeed life does go on and
deceive, or persuade others beforewe must adapt, must cope with reality in
society will consistently allow you toorder to succeed, even if doing so makes
share in the marbles, money, passionateus suspect that the world is going to
lovers, prestige or promotions you want.hell in a handcart, because humans hate
Only in this way can you make your lifechange inordinately and yearn to freeze
count for something worthwhile.Oflife as it was when we were learning it.
course, few of the people who areEven when doing so costs us a bundle.
succeeding are willing to share theirMany people do just that because
hard-earned knowledge with you. Mentorspersonal prestige is more important to
are hard to find and they always wantthemselves than performance or profits,
much in return for any help theybut it quickly leads to dysfunctional
offer.The purpose of this course is tofamilies, schools, companies, churches
teach you how to predict the attitudesand communities.Visit our website at
and activities of the men and women youWishes,
must influence every day in order toJard DeVilleThe Author - Jard DeVille,
keep your life successful. It also showsafter his World War II era service in
you how to influence their choices inthe Seventh and Fifth Army Air Forces,
ways they approve by using sound methodsstudied, ministered to several
of personal effectiveness. You can docongregations and taught college
these things by learning and usingpsychology for almost two decades.
powerful techniques developed by someDeVille was Psychology Department Chair
very good psychiatrists andat Westminster College, Director of the
psychologists. These methods are unknownKenosha Child Conservation Center in
to most people, although professionalconjunction with the University of
therapists, consultants and socialWisconsin at Madison and taught
workers have been using them for decadesleadership psychology for years in the
with much success.Most people struggleExecutive Development Program for the
through life the best way they can,University of Arizona at Tucson. He
succeeding once in a while, but moreserved as Manager of Engineering
often failing because they never learnedResearch, Methods and Training for
how to consistently make good thingsUniRoyal chemical complex and as Vice
happen when and where they are needed.President of Manufacturing for automated
They simply blunder along -- acceptingfarm tools in Derardean Corporation.Jard
whatever the luck of the draw offershas published more than a score of
them daily, never really taking chargepsychology books, seminars and
of their relationships in a mutuallypsychological assessment instruments.
rewarding manner that keeps peopleHis book NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST was
cooperating with them.Many persons trypowerful in English, Japanese and
to succeed by using the values,Spanish editions. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF
attitudes, expectations, and skills theyLEADERSHIP was New American Library's
chanced on in childhood. Unfortunately,offering in their Executive Development
in this age of relentless change, whenSeries. For twenty years he was
power and authority are shared by moreconsidered by many to be America's
and more people, to depend on what youforemost leadership scholar.



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