By Patricia Belyea
Guest Columnist
"Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite."
In the business world, something as simple as sincerity can pay high dividends. Ted Leonhardt spoke to an audience at the Henry Art Museum auditorium in Seattle in September about the importance of taking a genuine interest in clients and team members. He was talking about a mixture of sincerity, curiosity, and true caring.
One who means what he says is a sincere person. It is easy to trust someone who is sincere. And, obviously being trusted is good for business. Yet the benefits of sincerity go beyond making money. There is a huge internal gain in becoming a more sincere person as each day goes by.
A great thing about sincerity is that it is free. Like love and hope, it has nothing to do with wealth and comes from within. All it takes to encourage sincerity is a personal commitment to be sincere and continual practice. This is good self-discipline and it also gives others a chance to act reciprocally.
Being "present" when talking with others signals sincerity. This means focusing one’s complete attention on the other person when speaking.
Graphic designers sometimes have problems with run-away egos. Swollen heads are not good for being attentive to others. Designers must remember that their work needs to serve others, not themselves.
In the last year, our business has designed more note cards than ever. These are for high-functioning companies that want to send personal messages to associates. Instead of a quick email, they are opting for handwritten notes. Taking time to write a card is a thoughtful gesture that is appreciated by others. This attention to detail communicates care and sincerity.
Currently, I am taking the Leadership Tomorrow one-year training that advocates the servant-leader model of leadership. In the first session, a two-day retreat, leaders are taught to help others grow to their full potential. The spotlight no longer shines on the person at the front of the pack. Instead, the focus is on the individuals who are not in leadership positions.
Armed with this transformative information, I am letting go and bequeathing more power to others in my organization. Already I am seeing remarkable shifts. All the members of my team sincerely want to be challenged in new ways and grow beyond their comfort zone.
As the holiday season approaches, we are discussing the annual end-of-the-year mailing with a highly successful local company. "The theme should be gratitude," says the top director. This attitude is not fabricated to make customers feel good about the business. Instead it is a sincere, heart-felt reaction to a great year amid so much misfortune.
My industry, graphic design, is all about remarkable, smart, effective, powerful, results-driven work. Yet it is also about people and how they feel. Trust and respect drive our success. I sincerely believe we need to use both our heads and hearts as we do business together.
Patricia Belyea is the strategic director of Belyea, a Seattle design firm specializing in branding and marketing programs. Belyea’s current client list includes PEMCO Insurance, Genie Industries, UW Medicine, and McKinstry. Email patricia@belyea.com or call (206) 682-4895.
