“I don’t suck up; I don’t care who the person is or what their title is.” Have you ever heard someone you work with say this? While you don’t want to brown-nose your way to higher levels of an organization to earn certain privileges or titles, there is another approach. Serving up is a skill great professionals and leaders have mastered to accommodate their clients, organizations and co-workers, as we explain in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.
The quintessential “suck up” is someone who uses flattery to win someone over. This behavior is visible from miles away and those who use it very rarely achieve long-term success, mainly because it demonstrates a frightening lack of self-awareness. These actions are born out of manipulation and arrogance which lack genuine intent— the goal of sucking up is entirely self-serving.
In contrast, serving up is an act of accommodation that stems from the desire to provide a sterling level of service. It is the idea that when you truly make yourself an asset to those around you, whether it’s a client, your immediate superior or a co-worker, you move together toward success.
For example, a regional manager with a large finance firm was attending his company’s annual conference. There were hundreds of attendees from all across the country— including some of the corporate heavyweights slated to deliver presentations.
During this event, one of the company VP’s who was delivering a speech started having some problems with his microphone. Within seconds his direct report jumped up from his seat in the back of the room, ran to the AV team and began searching for a solution to get the VP a new mic so he could continue to focus on his speech. Right at that time, one of the regional manager’s peers leaned in and whispered to a colleague, “Look at that lackey, running off to fetch another microphone.” He continued his trash talking, “Man, if my VP’s mic does not work, he can find another one on his own; it’s not my responsibility to follow behind him.”
He did not understand the difference between sucking up and serving up.
Are you sucking up or serving up? If you are serving up— working hard and pleasing those in your life who matter— keep doing it. Be gracious and respectful to those in positions of authority, not from a position of weakness but in a position of power, so that one day when you’re in that power position the people who follow you will show you the same respect.
It doesn’t matter whether you work for a major corporation or own your own small consulting firm, you’re paid to help people, and the more people you help, the more success you will achieve. So serve and help those you call your boss, customer or peer. Regardless of your current title or position, adopting a servant-leader approach will help you grow and flourish. Servants are leaders who understand their value and have the humility to live it.
Source: Nathan Jamail, president of the Jamail Development Group, and author of the best-selling Playbook Series, is a motivational speaker, entrepreneur and corporate coach. As a former executive director, life insurance sales professional and business owner of several small businesses, Jamail travels the country helping individuals and organizations achieve maximum success. He has worked with thousands of leaders in creating a coaching culture.
