Mobster Al Capone once said, “Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness.” Basically, just because people operate in a good-natured manner, doesn’t mean they are not shrewd as businesspeople. It’s unfortunate, because there are those people who see friendliness and willingness to work toward a mutually beneficial outcome as a sign of weakness. The same could be said for transparency. That if an organization operates in an open manner and has a willingness to do the right thing by all involved then that can also be seen as a sign of weakness or naivety and must be taken advantage of. I would say that memories are long when it comes to feeling taken advantage of, no matter the circumstances. 

Here’s the deal. You must grow up in a hurry in business and learn not to take things personally. Everyone out there is doing their best to survive and thrive no matter their tactics. The key is to put the owness on yourself and your company first and foremost. Don’t blame others if you walk into situations underprepared and they get the better end of the deal. At Globalstar, we do everything within our power to commandeer mutually beneficial arrangements for all parties involved, and we do it in a respectfully compassionate manner. 

All good relationships begin with excellent communication. This allows business partners to set equitable boundaries of respect which leads to relationship success and longevity. Make sure that no matter how tough things get that you always stand by the relationship. And go out of your way to credit your partner firm. This simple step goes a long way toward emboldening the partnership. This is where kindness is a great strength in business. Who doesn’t like feeling appreciated and respected? Whenever we opt for wielding power that is intended to take advantage of someone’s good nature, the other half of Capone’s comment comes to mind, “I am kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not what you’re going to remember.”