Dan Clements

Funny how similar things happen at similar times. Not long ago I posted on the link between charity and wealth - in essence, how giving makes you richer.

Now, here comes the latest from John David Mann (You Call the Shots): The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea. And what’s it about? How putting others’ interests first, and continually adding value to their lives, ultimately leads to unexpected returns. How giving, in other words, is the path to getting.

The book tells the story of an ambitious young man named Joe who yearns to be successful. The problem, though, is that Joe feels as if the harder and faster he works, the further away his goals seem to be. One day, desperate to land a key sale at the end of a bad quarter, he seeks advice from the enigmatic Pindar, a legendary consultant referred to by his many devotees simply as the Chairman.

Over the next week, Pindar introduces Joe to a series of successful “go-givers”: a restaurateur, a CEO, a financial advisor, a real estate broker and “The Connector” who brought them all together. Pindar’s friends share with Joe the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success and teach him how to open himself up to the power of giving.

I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for parables—I love getting a great message packaged up in a cool story that’s easy to read—but I have to say The Go-Giver is the parable at its finest. Great story and an easy read, but not too simplistic like so many parables. And most important of all: useful. There’s some real wisdom in this one.

Pick up a copy. Or better still, put the theory to the test by sending one to a friend.