There are a number of people who view being nice as a liability when it comes to their personal and professional success. Some say, “If you’re nice, people will take advantage of you.” Others say, “If you’re nice, you’ll be seen as being weak.” Recent research studies, however, have shown that just the opposite is true. In a study published in the March, 2009 issue of the Journal of Product Innovation Management, researchers found that managers who treated their employees with kindness, respect and fairness got far better performance from them than managers who didn’t. Other studies show that nice people are happier, healthier, more optimistic and make more money than their not so nice counterparts. So, make it a point to smile and say or do something that brightens the day of everyone you come into contact with. If you do this for one week, you’ll be amazed at how much your life changes for the better.
