No Wonder I’m Not Climbing the Corporate Ladder…I’m Too Nice

According to this story, people who are courteous, good-natured, trusting, tolerant, and cooperative don’t do well in climbing the corporate ladder.

From the story –

These are the traits your mother told you -- repeatedly -- to embrace. "They'll make people like you." "You'll always have friends." "You'll go far."

Mom was wrong, at least as far as business success is concerned.

My colleagues and I studied the careers of more than 1,500 people over a 20-year period. Sorry, Mom, we found that being too nice won't boost you up the corporate ladder.

Our findings didn't just hint at it, either. The evidence was overwhelming: Being too nice can deter your career progress and muddle your effectiveness as a leader. The degree to which a person is trusting of others as well as likable (good-natured, cheerful, gentle) hurt his or her salary level and number of promotions.

How about nurturing, sympathetic and supportive? These qualities impede management potential. Agreeable? Research indicated it was negatively related to salary, occupational status, involvement in work and whether an individual stood out as a leader.

It's not all bad news. Being affable relates to job and life satisfaction, and people with that quality tend to engage in less counterproductive behavior -- vital in jobs requiring cooperation.

So, why is it a problem for career success? One reason: People with this natural personality trait may be less likely to face confrontation or other difficulties at work.

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A leader must be able to perform in ways challenging for someone who is hard-wired for cooperation. "Let's all get along" just doesn't work in the workplace.

To be a successful manager, you have to manage controversial issues as well as provide constructive (and not always positive) feedback. You'll have to make difficult decisions and help correct poor performance. Added to this, you'll have to be able to deal effectively with conflict and take less popular stands when needed -- challenging for those who want to be liked.

If you are that type of person, you may also be much less likely to stand up for yourself because you don't want to rock the boat, or be less assertive in asking for raises, promotions and career opportunities. Thus, others may take advantage of you or you might not get recognized for your accomplishments.

It has been proved that when "nice" leaders fail to manage conflicts, make hard decisions or deal with problem subordinates or areas, they are often accused of not providing strong leadership, lacking courage or just frankly needing to be tougher.

Well I’m screwed. Also if this last bit is true, I think we have found the reason why Jimmy Carter was such a poor president.

I think part of my “problem” (and I’m not sure that I would consider it a problem personally) is that I am not a yes man. I refuse to bend over and take everything the company hands down with a smile. I question leaders and their policies constantly so from that stand point I do rock the boat, but it is more of the underdog-fighting-the-system type of rocking than internal political in-fighting type of rocking.

I guess I’m just not built for corporate America.