Universal Principles for Success

I'm always on the lookout for inspiring ideas that I can apply to make me better at what I do.

I recently came across an article posted by Dave Kerpen through LinkedIn.  The title of the article is 11 Simple Concepts to Become a Better Leader.  

I do not know Dave personally and I am not "connected" with Dave on LinkedIn.  But, after reading his short article I intend to follow his work and read his book, Likeable Business, which is the source of the ideas for the article.

As Dave explains it, "likeability" is a key ingredient for success at work, in business and in life.  Dave's commitment to the notion of likeability is not surprising given the name of his business, Likeable Local, a social media software startup for small businesses. 

The genesis for the book Likeable Business was to determine what made successful business leaders so likeable and their companies so successful.  After interviewing dozens of business leaders he drew some conclusions.  He found that the common thread for success are the following eleven principles: 1. Listening, 2. Storytelling, 3. Authenticity, 4. Transparency, 5. Team Playing, 6. Responsiveness, 7. Adaptability, 8. Passion, 9. Surprise and Delight, 10. Simplicity, and 11. Gratefulness.

The ideas are so simple and straightforward. And, the article provides a convincing case for their value and importance in success in all walks of life.

All of Dave's eleven principles resonate with me.  As a dispute resolution professional, I was particularly struck that the first two concepts.  Active listening and storytelling play a central role in my work and the effective application of these concepts in negotiation and mediation is critical to the success of these processes.