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The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success (from The Go-Giver)

28 January 2009 2 Comments

I recently finished reading the book The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann, which is a business parable outlining a set of principles that the authors believe drive “stratospheric success”. The premise banks on a play of the word “go-getter”, of which a “go-giver” thinks and acts in a opposite, unconventional manner.

I found the book to be a very easy and light read. It has only around 129 pages, including chapter dividers. The parable is obviously a work of fiction, without a particularly heavy plot. It employs some level of unrealistic coincidences to prove the points, which makes the tale a bit too good to be true.

Still, there is some wisdom to be found in the principles behind the story. I for one noted some parallelisms with real-life leadership scenarios at work that could use or benefit from the five laws outlined herein.

Net: The Go-Giver is a nice-to-read with some sound and useful nuggets, but in my opinion is not compelling enough to warrant a hardbound purchase. Wait for it in paperback, borrow it from a friend, or pick it up from a library — if you have time to spare. Otherwise, just cut to the chase — note the outlined five laws and skip the fantastical storyline.


The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success

The Law of Value
Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.

The Law of Compensation
Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.

The Law of Influence
Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.

The Law of Authenticity
The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.

The Law of Receptivity
The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

2 Comments »

  • posted on 28 January 2009
    Angel Alexiel said:

    The laws, when you read them, all sound very true and make a lot of sense…. But interestingly enough, as I am learning today, sometimes trying to be a go-giver and trying to give as much as you can to your team often gets miscontrued as being weak or unable – and more people actually prefer the go-getter than a go-giver… Go figure! :)

    [Reply]

  • posted on 9 February 2009
    sinch said:

    haha, true true. I think there’s a reasonable balance between the two, and if you’re a real go-getter you’ll realize that go-giving yields better returns

    [Reply]

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