Nice Guys Finish Last

Baseball manager Leo Durocher coined the term, explaining how athletes become champions. Both my high scool football and baseball coaches loved this expression and used it daily. Unfortunately, the phrase has permeated business and other parts of our lives, impacting relationships, of all types. I sometime forget about being nice, especially when I'm busy , hurried or in other stressful situations. I'm sure this is true for us all... So, I found a current book on the subject so that I could work on that part of who I am and that it may be helpful for others as well.
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In The Power of Nice, Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval, who head the New York advertising agency The Kaplan Thaler Group, debunk the myth.

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With a foreword by Jay Leno, often referred to as "one of the nicest guys in show business," and laced with evidentiary anecdotes and advice, the book makes a strong case for niceness while also noting that it doesn't mean "being wimpy."
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The book highlights six "Power of Nice" principles:
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Positive impressions are like seeds. The power of nice has a domino effect. That effect may not be immediately apparent but will eventually find its way back to you, at some point in time.
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You never know. A stranger on the street may seem insignificant but could be related to your boss or a client.
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People change. Treat everyone with respect. Today's clerk could be tomorrow's CEO. This example was especially noteworthy to me, as my company's current CEO is quick to tell people that he started his career in the mail room, with his first job, and now runs a Fortune 500 company.
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Nice must be automatic. It loses its effectiveness if used only sporadically.
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Negative impressions are like germs. The flip side of the first step, above.
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You will know. The effects of your actions may not be seen but they are felt, if only by you. So, treating others with kindness, respect and generosity will be repaid with interest.
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Oh well. I suppose I shall begin being nice, on a consistent basis. Or, maybe not...which reminds me of another saying: " I do the things I do and not necessarily the things I want to do." Good Grief !!