What is the key to success? It's hard to tell when so much success advice is contradictory: Should you be kind, or is being nice for losers? Should you spend every waking hour at work, or focus on work-life balance? In Barking Up the Wrong Tree, peak performance expert Eric Barker examines the research on every option—and shares what he believes are the secrets to success.
In this guide, you'll learn why context is king—in other words, why the rules for success depend on who you are—and examine interpersonal relationships, reviewing the importance of kindness, networks, and your attitude towards success. We'll also present Barker's views on persistence and hard work, namely why you need to stick to some things and quit others, and how you can achieve the ideal balance of work and play. Along the way, we'll examine how Barker’s ideas compare with those of other thought leaders and introduce even more ways to implement his suggestions.
Barking Up the Wrong Tree
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Barking Up the Wrong Tree by Eric Barker .
What is the key to success? It's hard to know—especially when so much success advice is contradictory: Should you be kind, or is being nice for losers? Should you spend every waking hour at work or focus on work-life balance? In Barking Up the Wrong Tree, peak performance expert Eric Barker examines the research on every option—and shares what he believes are the secrets to.
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Why are there so many different rules regarding success? Barker suggests this is because often, the key is not whether the path is right but whether it’s right for you. Therefore, an essential key to success is to know yourself and act accordingly.
Barker explains that most of the time, things aren't inherently good or bad: They just work differently for different people. Such is the case with rules for success: Some people can succeed by following a prescribed path, while others succeed by doing the exact opposite. Specifically, people can be divided into two types: the rule-followers who succeed in predictable ways—like by steadily climbing the career ladder—and the individualists, who follow unorthodox paths and have qualities that might be problematic but work in the right context. For example, Winston Churchill’s paranoia was dangerous in peacetime but led him to rightly view Adolf Hitler as a threat—and thus successfully lead Britain through World War II.
How Accepting Your Tendencies—No Matter What They Are—Can Help
Other experts point out that [you may be neither a rule-follower nor an individualist but a.
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Another area in which conventional advice regarding success contradicts itself is its recommendations surrounding kindness. Some people argue that being nice is for chumps, while others argue that being nice will get you far. So who’s right? According to Barker, they all are. You can be both kind and successful—but you have to be smart about it.
Why does being kind pay off? Barker explains that when you’re kind to someone without expecting anything in return, people grow to like you—and people who like you want to help you. Some people who like you will offer you small courtesies, like proofreading an important email you need to send. Others will watch over you and help if someone tries to take advantage of you. Therefore, when you meet someone, get them to like you by doing something small for them before they do anything for you. For example, you might treat them to coffee.
(Shortform note: Barker’s advice is contradictory. He argues that being kind means you don’t expect others to do things for you. However, doing someone a favor in order to get them to like you does involve an expectation: You expect that they’ll “like you” because you did.
This is the best summary of How to Win Friends and Influence People I've ever read. I learned all the main points in just 20 minutes.
You’ve now learned that it’s smart to be nice, but what if socializing doesn’t come naturally to you? Is success really about who—not what—you know? Not necessarily, according to Barker—but your relationships are essential, so you must nurture your network.
Barker explains that socializing doesn’t guarantee success because people comfortable with different levels of socialization are good at different things. For example, extroverts (people who are energized by socializing with others) tend to make more money, introverts (who are energized by being alone) are more likely to become experts in their fields, and ambiverts (who fall somewhere between extroverts and introverts) tend to make great salespeople. So as long as you know where you fall on the introversion-to-extroversion scale and choose positions that work with it, you can succeed in your chosen field.
How to Implement Barker’s Suggestions at Any Stage of Your Career
It’s easy to pick a position suited to where you fall on the introversion-to-extroversion scale if you know what it is and you’re at the beginning of your career. But what if you’re not sure or you’re already committed to a career.
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