I still remember a time when I was in Grade 10 at St. George’s School. One of our school counselors made a comment that has stuck with me ever since. He said that the world is run by B+ students. Since Grade 10, I have learned what he meant by this and have grown to appreciate the importance of this message. As many individuals are quickly realizing, interpersonal and people skills are becoming more important. President Xi Jinping even spoke about this last year when he stated that EQ is more important than IQ. While B+ students may not have the highest grades, they have the stronger people skills. Here are three things that these B+ types have that make them successful:
 

1. Knowing How to Connect with Others

Often when I receive telephone calls from students, this is how the conversation usually starts:

Bryan: Hello.

Student: Hi Bryan, this is Jack.

Bryan: Oh, hi, Jack. How are you doing today?

Jack: Ummm, good. I emailed you a short time ago. Did you read it yet?

Wait a minute, where is the proper etiquette on the part of the student? Where are the pleasantries? No “how are you doing?” or simple conversation before actually getting into the topic of the telephone call. The successful types know how to connect with others and to develop that rapport with people. There’s a wonderful quote from the noted American author and poet, Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”
 

2. Saying Please, Thank You, and Sorry

In this world where some people may have a growing sense of entitlement, those four words go a very long way. In many ways, politeness and good manners seem to be giving way to rudeness and poor behavior. So when someone shows genuine gratitude, it can be not only refreshing but also truly surprising. And showing your appreciation doesn’t have to involve lots of effort – a simple please and thank you can go a long way. Also, in this hyper-competitive world, no one likes to admit his or her mistakes. But saying sorry and owning up to your mistakes is the best thing that you can do.
 

3. Helping Others

If you haven’t read his book yet, I would highly recommend that you read Adam Grant’s Give and Take. In his book, Dr. Grant, a professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, highlights research that shows that highly successful people tend to be the biggest givers in that they help others. I would recommend that you start thinking about the top 30 people in your social network – friends, family, colleagues, and other acquaintances – and think about how you can help them or provide some value. Perhaps it’s just a simple phone call or text message to ask how they’re doing or sharing a helpful news article with them. Helping others doesn’t have to be difficult. Small acts of kindness and thoughtfulness can bring significant reward – and plus they’re the right things to do anyway.

By strengthening your people skills, you are preparing yourself for even more success. One of the first things to learn is that it is about being mindful – of yourself and others. How do you want to make other people feel and how can you bring meaning and value to their lives.