In Love Is the Killer App : How to Win Business and Influence Friends Tim Sanders evangelizes us on the idea that “love” is a point of differeniation in business and in life. He calls us all to be “lovecats.”
He uses Meyeroff’s definition of love, “Love is the selfless promotion of the growth of the other.” Sanders says we demonstrate love in a business/professional setting by “intelligently and sensible sharing your intangibles with your bispartners.”
What are our intangibles?
1. Knowledge: everything we have learned and continue to learn, everything we have picked up while doing the job, and all we have taught ourselves by reading every moment we can find the time.
2. Network: our entire web of relationships. Everyone in our address book is a potential partner for every person we meet. Everyone can fit somewhere in our ever-expanding business universe.
3. Compassion: the personal quality machines can never possess, the human ability to reach out with warmth, whether through eye contact, physical touch, or words.
The book is full of killer quotes, including this one from the Dalai Lama, “You don’t have to be a god. Just stop hurting people.”
I also loved this: Tim Koogle talks about the difference between being active and being passive–or what he calls the story of “ing” versus “ed.” If you spend time with people who say, “We are talking about that,” “We are thinking about that,” “We are planning that,” be wary. These people aren’t good bizpartners. They don’t execute. People who say, “We studied,” “We planned it, ” “We did it” are the winners you should give your time to.
That’s my one minute summary. Rock on lovecats.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
This book changed the way I think about…nearly every thing. The idea of your network being one of the greatest things of value that you have is a profound thought. Growing it WHILE SHARING IT is one of my newest joys in life and ministry.
I even got an autographed copy of the book from Tim.