We all know people who are go-getters. They're the power brokers and business tycoons who are ambitious and enterprising in their pursuit of success. But there's another path to success, one that focuses less on getting and more on giving. Think of the people you know who go out of their way to benefit others. Authors Bob Burg and John David Mann call them go-givers.
Go-givers are people who enjoy helping others without strings attached. They step up to share their knowledge, introduce people who might benefit from knowing each other, provide mentoring, offer support, and volunteer for tasks that are important but invisible.
Most people believe that go-getters are more successful than go-givers. But in Give and Take, I assembled a decade of surprising studies that shatter this assumption. It turns out that across a wide range of jobs, from engineering to medicine to sales, many of the world's best go-getters are also go-givers. They succeed in ways that lift others up, instead of cutting them down.
Go-givers view money and power as incomplete dimensions of success. They define success more broadly to include Third Metric measures: contributing to others, sharing their wisdom and creativity, and promoting the well-being of groups and communities.
When we look for role models, though, we often miss these people. Go-givers tend to focus on recognizing and acknowledging other people, rather than tooting their own horns. This reluctance to claim credit and hog the spotlight means that go-givers have a habit of fading into the background.
It's time to disrupt this pattern by recognizing go-givers for their contributions. Each week, the Huffington Post will feature one Go-Giver of the Week who has a track record of helpfulness and generosity. To submit a nomination, write a paragraph about why your candidate should be selected, including a specific story or vivid example that brings go-giving to life.
This post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post highlighting the contributions of Go-Givers -- people who are looking beyond a "Go-Getter" approach to success and redefining success to include the importance of giving back. To nominate a Go-Giver of the Week, email gogiver@huffingtonpost.com.