The Golden Rule(s)

I don’t recall when I first heard the quote. It was at least 25 years ago. It made so much sense, however, I did not truly appreciate it, at least enough to put it into practice. I was too young, too naive, and too focused on myself. As I received yet another InMail message (LinkedIn’s version of email) from someone I don’t know attempting to hustle me, I reflected on it and wished they made even the slightest attempt to show me they care before trying to get my time and attention. So rash. They reminded me of myself once upon a time.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Theodore Roosevelt

It’s amazing how much InMail spam I get these days. It’s a real problem for LinkedIn as it could quickly devolve into present-day email inboxes. However, it’s not too late. We only need to develop empathy as a superpower. Easier said than done, I know, however it’s possible if we each commit to it. We simply need to remember Teddy Roosevelt’s quote along with Jesus’ quote from His Sermon on the Mount.

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Jesus Christ (Luke 6:31)

One of my mentors, Seth Godin, recently commented in a blog post about modern marketing and hustle. Hustle uses shortcuts and effort to bend the conventions of society to get more than the hustler’s fair share of attention. Hustle burns trust for awareness. Because it’s a shortcut, hustle might deliver in the short-run, but hustle is notably non-consensual. Few people want to be hustled.

Marketing is the work of helping people get what they’ve wanted all along. Marketing is about establishing the conditions for a small group of people to eagerly spread the word and build connection. Modern marketing changes the culture by establishing what the new norms are, and does it in a way that makes things better for those it serves.

In other words, seek to build a genuine connection with me before you ask for my time and attention to try to sell me something. At a minimum, spend 5-15 minutes looking at my LinkedIn profile and website (mindwolves.com). Show me that you care enough to invest some time in me and then I’ll reciprocate. My commitment to you, and everyone else God places in my daily walk, is to do the same for you.