Reading an article about Google’s people practices yesterday, I was amazed by the amount of analytical vigor that goes into it’s people decisions. Impressive as it might be, the decision making process did sound cold. Colder yet when you read about SAS & their philosophy of managing people.

Mark Crowley lists the four unique leadership values that have helped SAS deliver amazing results consistently over a long time. 37 consecutive years of increased earnings. You can’t argue if they have withstood the test of time. 

• Value People Above All Else
• To Give Is To Get: pamper your employees, so that they will treat your business & your customers in the same way; “people want a life with money, not money without a life.”
• Trust Above All Things: trust is demonstrated via open communication, respect from fellow employees, transparency into career-paths, and being treated as a human being; manager’s primary responsibility is to ensure the success of others.
• Ensure Employees Understand The Significance Of Their Work: help your employees find fulfillment & meaning from their work.

There are few people, let alone the hardened souls of the stock analyst kinds, who believe in such warm & fuzzy good guy values. And this is precisely what makes such successes even more precious.

Good Guys Do Win.