Being Right v. Being Dependable

“Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

This may sound like a strange comparison, but it really does make sense. And it applies to so many things in business and life.

We all know at least one person who loves being right.

They correct you all time. Interrupt to set the record straight. Re-tell “exactly” how something happened after you just summarized it.

I had a co-worker who did this incessantly. I think he thought it made him appear smart.

So. Very. Annoying!

And what does it benefit them, or you? NOTHING.

In fact, it creates animosity, disdain, and can even sever relationships.

In contrast…

Think about someone you know who is dependable. I’m not talking about a pushover, or a boring routine person. I’m talking about that person who is generous, helpful, and there when you need them.

They may not always be right, but they’re always creating value.

Their dependability spurs us to respond in kind. So it not only benefits us, it benefits them back.

Being dependable — in a dating or marriage relationship, with your kids, in business — is probably the single hardest, and therefore most valuable attribute you can live into.

Being dependable is probably the single hardest, and therefore most valuable, attribute you can live into.

When you’re building up friendships, a business network, or any group from which you hope to get value, starting from that place of generous dependability will get you farther than almost anything else.

My network-building really took off once I figured out this seeming paradox. I now have a strong, diverse network of thousands. And that took me from being broke and in debt, to 3 exits totaling nearly $2 billion.

As a reference, I give away probably 99% of what I know to my network. And it comes back to me far greater than if I had held onto it tightly.

Give more. Show up. Respond. In other words, be dependable.

I certainly won’t ask if you have a story about someone who’s always right. But if you’ve seen dependability pay off, then please comment and share.

More examples = more proof that we should all be doing it, too. 🙂

👉 Join me on the FB community for people like you: Startup Ruckus.

//Originally published on Medium