Capitalizing on Kindness: Why 21st Century Professionals Need to Be Nice [Paperback]

Kristin Tillquist (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2008

To be successful in the 21st century global marketplace you need many things--determination, well-articulated goals, and a bit of luck. But more than anything else, you need kindness.

Kindness becomes the key business asset when you couple a caring attitude toward others with a focus on achieving your goals. Often people see business as a choice between being kind and being successful. This is a fictitious trade-off. Nice people are more successful. Those who wish to succeed in the 21st century business climate which is characterized by intense competition, ever-evolving technologies, and escalating expectations, must make the conscious development of kindness their business imperative.

The successes of many of the most accomplished professionals come as a result of developing the Five Powers of Kindness:
1. Reputation: Being trusted and building a strong reputation
2. Reciprocity: Garnering reciprocal kindnesses from others
3. Personality: Learning to be someone that others like
4. Thanks: Being gracious and appreciative of others
5. Connecting: Building a strong network of relationships

Simply stated, doing good is good business.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"We couldn't agree more. Mean is soooo last millenium. Kristin's wisdom about the value of kindness, generosity and acceptance in the workplace should be part of every MBA, manager and mogul's required reading. The brave new world belongs to the nice."
--Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval, authors of The Power of Nice

About the Author

Kristin Tillquist's expertise in business spans politics, the law, and internationalism. She is the chief of staff to the mayor of the City of Riverside, the capital city of one of the largest, fastest-growing counties in America. Working with politicians from throughout California and the nation, Tillquist knows the techniques of influence that work...and those that don't. A former attorney, she is now a noted business consultant, inspirational speaker, columnist, and teacher/trainer on the value of professionalism and kindness in business.

Product Details

• Paperback: 253 pages
• Publisher: Career Press; 1 edition (November 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601630387
• ISBN-13: 978-1601630384
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #924,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kristin Tillquist's expertise in business spans politics, the law, and internationalism. Kristin is the chief of staff to the mayor of the City of Riverside, the capital city of one of the largest, fastest-growing counties in America. Working with politicians from throughout California and the nation, Kristin knows the techniques of influence that work&and those that don't. A former attorney, she is now a noted business consultant, inspirational speaker, columnist, and teacher/trainer on the value of professionalism and kindness in business.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The value and necessity of niceness December 13, 2008

By Gary Sandy

Format:Paperback

Business books are a traditionally muscular genre. Even the titles are reflective of a certain sinewy sensibility. In recent years an exuberant ethos of business as blood sport has dominated bookshelves, with titles as provocative as Executive Warfare, Swim with the Sharks Without Getting Eaten Alive, The Art of Business Warfare, Running with the Rhinos, What Got You Here Won't Get You There and even the post-feminist Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office.

While the overdose of testosterone-fueled titles continues unabated, Kristin Tillquist's Capitalizing on Kindness: Why 21st Century Professionals Need to be Nice, provides readers with a welcome respite from the gore of achievement at someone else's expense. Tillquist's thesis is simply that nice guys or gals don't always finish last. To the contrary, they often finish first and it is precisely kindness, of all things, that gets them there.

As alien as this notion may be to readers raised on grimmer fare, Tillquist points out that boorishness and bluster are increasingly seen as bad behavior and just as often lead to failure. In a world where a simple YouTube clip is capable of making or breaking a career, Tillquist's gentle guidance on the lasting value of building "kindness capital" marks a new path for workplace and business success.

To her credit Tillquist makes her case for kindness in an effective and straightforward manner mixing metaphors with everyday examples of how businesses that practice and value kindness, compassion and courtesy benefit their own bottom lines. The author weaves her narrative with insights into how successful businesses and individuals use these characteristics of kindness to succeed. So many of the basic elements of modern business life, communication, networking, customer service, teamwork, strategic planning, and even the use of technology are, though we don't often think about it, augmented and enhanced by the type of facilitative and empathetic practices that Tillquist proposes.

Moreover, the author also quotes a leading business executive who points out that those companies and organizations that practice kindness and caring toward their employees and customers are likely to incur lower absenteeism, turnover and fewer legal claims. In other words, kindness is cost-effective.

Capitalizing on Kindness is a transformational book and should be, particularly in this age of rapid change, required reading for anyone who believes that the road to the top need not be a solitary journey nor one where you burn your bridges behind you. The book offers a new paradigm for the workplace and an emerging path for individuals who want to find a better way. A good read and a gentle guide, Capitalizing on Kindness deserves a premier place in every thoughtful reader's collection.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Kindness for the 21st Century November 25, 2008

By Charlotte L.

Format:Paperback

I love the idea behind this book -- that kindness can, and should be, seen as a strength and not a weakness in the business world. The more you're kind at work, the more you'll see professional success. The book's insightful -- if only more corporations included it in their employee handbook, they'd be happier...and more successful!