Will Following the Bible Make Your Career Successful?

For those of you new to Free Money Finance, I post on The Bible and Money every Sunday. Here's why.

I've been writing a lot lately about how to make the most of your most valuable financial asset -- your career.  In addition to working hard and demonstrating you deserve raises, you need to be likeable to succeed in your career. And it turns out that the qualities that go into "being likeable" are ones that the Bible addresses.

But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. Let's start with the facts.

The Harvard Business Review conducted a study to determine who people would hire: the lovable fool or the competent jerk. Here’s what they found:

In most cases, people choose their work partners according to two criteria. One is competence at the job. The other is likeability. Ask managers about this choice and you’ll often hear them say that when it comes to getting a job done, competence trumps likeability. But despite what such people might say about their preferences, the reverse turned out to be true in practice in the organizations we analyzed.

“We found that if someone is strongly disliked, it's almost irrelevant whether or not she is competent; people won't want to work with her anyway. By contrast, if someone is liked, his colleagues will seek out every little bit of competence he has to offer. Generally speaking, a little extra likeability goes a longer way than a little extra competence in making someone desirable to work with.”

So if you can enhance your performance – and, as we’ve learned, your pay as well – by being more likeable, then that begs the question – how can you become more likeable?

Here's a list from William Cottringer, a Ph.D., business consultant, college teacher, sport psychologist and writer. He lists the ten main groups of behaviors that make a person likeable.

Interestingly, these are also characteristics promoted in the Bible.

Here are the ten along with some selected Bible verses:

• Be honest.

Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth. Proverbs 16:13

• Be humble.

Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life. Proverbs 22:4

• Show empathy.

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 1 Peter 3:8

• Laugh often.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

• Be positive.

All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. Proverbs 15:15

• Control hostility.

For man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. James 1:20

• Be polite.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

• Act smart.

Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. Proverbs 17:28

• Appear attractive.

You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.  1 Peter 3:4

• Listen more.

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19

So, did any of you know that following the Bible can make you more likeable as well as help to grow your career? ;-)

Comments

[todd]

This list sounds like the Boy Scout Law.

A Scout is:

•Trustworthy,
•Loyal,
•Helpful,
•Friendly,
•Courteous,
•Kind,
•Obedient,
•Cheerful,
•Thrifty,
•Brave,
•Clean,
•and Reverent.

I find that it is easy to pull for people that follow the characteristics noted, and believe that that trying to achieve these things in my own life has helped me achieve success.

[Todd N.]

Good Article! It is so nice to see an article like this one. Good job!!!

[Benjamin Bankruptcy]

Frankly not being Christian I had never heard/read any of those. THANKS! they are awesome. We have several christians who work with us, all of them I would say live up to most of these.

[MasterPo]

Points 1&2 will get you no where fast.

If you review the careers of people deemed as "successful" at some people (often early on) they were not lilly-white honest. Maybe more "off white" or "gray". Doesn't make it right. But that's reality. And MasterPo has rarely met a senior level person who wants an honest answer from subordinates (sad as it is to say).

As for humility, once you get to be a billionare then you can practice that. Otherwise, look at people who are still rising stars. Being meek and humble they certainly are not. No one ever rewards a humble person. Like it or not humility is taken as weakness, not a virtue, in business.

Not that these aren't good qualities to hold up as goals. But business/career is a world unto itself.

[SAHM]

I love this article. I'm sharing it with my husband as an encouragement. I know he has more success in his job because of his likeability and his willingness to learn. Contrary to what MasterPo says, humility is huge. Humility isn't about bowing down and letting others walk all over you. Humility is the willingness to admit you don't know something and to learn. I've seen my husband do it so many times over the years. He is by far the most likeable person in his department. Yes, I know I'm biased, but you can't help it when people tell you every time you are up there just how great he is to work with.

[Belmont Thornton]

This article is simply great! Well, even I believe that people who are amiable and liked by others are the ones companies should hire, it is better than having arrogant colleagues.