4 Reasons Why Rudeness Leads to Business Failure Having a kind heart and giving it freely to others may be your greatest success of all.
By Zach Cutler Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
I've always been a very driven person, with big goals and bigger dreams. Like many entrepreneurs, I have a vision, and I'm able to focus on the end game as well as the process required to reach it.
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But in focusing on the end game, entrepreneurs -- and I include myself here -- can be guilty of coming across as rude, in our haste to accomplish our achievements. We can lack patience. And this can lead to our intentionally or unintentionally disrespecting or disparaging others.
While the ability to keep our eyes on the end game is fundamental to success, as is our maintaining high standards and an appropriate level of impatience for getting things done, rudeness itself should be left out.
At the end of the day, success is broken success if people are hurt along the way. In many respects, having a kind heart and giving it freely to others may be your greatest success of all. Here are four reasons why rudeness leads to failure:
1. People will dislike you.
Even if employees obey your rude orders, or suppliers, customers or any other stakeholders put up with your aggression and unpleasantness, they will end up resenting you. And, as a result, they will likely not put in their best work for you. They probably won't put their heart into it, either, and without passion and heart, things become very average, very quickly.
2. Bridges will be burned.
If times change, or tables turn, and you are in need of help, you may find that the very people who might have helped you have since become alienated by your past poor behavior. Being rude is one of the ultimate ways to lose friends and allies – and without those, how can any entrepreneur be super successful?
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3. Your poor behavior will constrict your creativity.
In many respects, being kind and giving to others opens our hearts and minds, which can lead to surges of creativity and "aha" moments. In contrast, however, being rude and always taking from others without giving back, often leads to the exact opposite. Creativity in business is vital, so entrepreneurs should be looking for ways to increase it, not restrict it.
4. You will lose others' respect.
Respect is a two-way street. People like working with, and for, those they respect. In addition, employees want to be respected back. But if they don't get respect from you, they won't respect you, either. The same is true for customers and other stakeholders. If you don't respect others, no one will respect you.
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For an entrepreneur, respect, compassion and the willingness to help others go a long way. So, start practicing these behaviors. Today would be an excellent start.
