In an article for LinkedIn, well-known pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation Dr Deepak Chopra described five characteristics of people in both the help and hinder categories.
First, here are the characteristics of those who can help you:
1. Loyalty. This is arguably the most important of all since it implies trustworthiness. Loyal people will not betray you in their own self-interest.
2. Honesty. We all know what honesty means; however, in addition to outright lying, be on your guard also for people who prove unable to follow through on their commitments.
3. Competitiveness. This can be a double-edged weapon inasmuch as some competitive types can go too far and turn nasty if you compete too hard with them. The technique is to let them win since these people do also bring success around them. Obviously competitiveness plus loyalty makes an ideal combination.
4. Team building. Team work is important in many professions and a good leader will look after team members, ensuring everyone is respected and has a fair say.
5. Creativity. In contrast to team-builders, creative types are usually more self-centred; however, their investigative and innovative minds may serve as an inspiration for you.
Now here are the five characteristics of those who might have a negative effect on your career:
1. Perfectionism. Perfectionists will always find cause to criticise others; they also tend to hold grudges. Sooner or later those around them become frustrated by such behaviour. You will never make them happy, so it is better to leave them alone.
2. Self-importance. These types like nothing more than talking about themselves; at the same time they are oblivious to the feelings and needs of others. It is best to spend as little time as possible with them.
3. Indecisiveness. Those who can never make up their minds about anything are best bypassed if possible. If, however, their unpredictability starts causing problems in your own work, you should consider leaving them behind.
4. Rule enforcement. People obsessed by rules are hard-headed and show little flexibility in their dealings with others.
5. Tyranny. Tyrants have much in common with the rule-enforcers mentioned above, the main difference being that tyrants are hungrier for power. True, both these types can be useful for keeping order in a crisis but if and when they resort to bullying, again it is high time for you to consider leaving.
Deepak Chopra concedes it is not always possible to leave one’s position on account of negative people. In such circumstances it is important to control your emotions and not become embroiled in conflicts. Focus instead on the positive people who can help advance your career.
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