Why Every Business Person Must be a Psychologist
One’s financial success is much less dependent on hard work and knowledge than it is on the ability to lead people. Many bright person rise rapidly in their careers because of their high-tech knowledge. But once they arrive at a level where they have to succeed through the efforts of others, they get mired down simply because they have not learned the art of multiplying themselves. One industrial psychologist says that promotions are 90% dependent on technical know-how for a rank-and-file worker. For promotions as supervisor, technical knowledge is 50% and human relations are 50%. For promotions as executive, technical expertise is 20% and human relation are 80%. An almost total switch in skills takes place as people rise higher on the management ladder.
The German Poet Goethe observed, “The greatest genius will not be worth much if he pretends to draw exclusively from his own resources.” Yet this law is ignored by a surprising number of hard-working people whose careers have not been kissed by success. They’ve failed to accomplish big things because they have failed to master the art of inspiring others. Those who get ahead sometimes have limited gifts themselves, but their people consistently turn in superior performances. And that is because, though these leaders do not necessarily work long hours, when they do work they use their time organizing and motivating people.
“Great [corporate] leaders understand human behavior rather than cybernetics of any functional specialty,” says James Schorr, executive vice-president of Holiday Inns Inc. Translated, what he is saying is that proven motivator will make it to the top before a proven genius. When Andrew Carnegie hired Charles Schwab to administer his far-flung steel empire, Schwab became the first man in history to earn a million dollars a year while in someone else’s employ. Schwab was once asked what equipped him to earn $3000 a day. Was it his knowledge of steel manufacturing? “Nonsense,” snorted Schwab. “I have lots of men working for me who know more about steel than I do.” Schwab was paid such a handsome amount largely because of his ability to inspire other people. “I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among the men the greatest asset I possess,” he said, and any leader who can do that can go almost anywhere and name almost any price.
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