People often think that they have to be ruthless to succeed: as the old saying has it: “Nice guys finish last.” Terrible people often succeed. That is a given. Although individuals who are too soft will indeed finish last … this does not mean individuals at the opposite extreme, arrogant or constantly Machiavellian – are always going to have much lasting success either. Decent people also make it to the top, even in hard, competitive fields, and can help shift matters for the better. It’s just often not noticed because more monstrous egos grab our attention.
This conversation “How to Succeed Without Being Ruthless” with David Bodanis will reinforce the belief in fairness. Many of us have been fed up with the prevailing madness of much of the society and are looking for inspiration on how to be better and fix things for others. David has been examining this issue for few years and has been able to distil his thoughts to come up with three basic principles to make fairness work.