I've just caught myself humming “One of Us” by Joan Osborne. You know the song? Interestingly, Joan didn't write it. It was written by Eric Bazilian, the singer and guitarist of The Hooters.
Eric was one of the special guests at the huge PUR & Friends concert at Schalke Stadium in 2022. What an incredible evening! Especially because I was there with my dear friend Rüdi. And whenever Rüdi and I get together, we somehow always end up talking about God and the world. Or about Hartmut and Rüdi's song. 🙂
Speaking of God …
“One of Us” raises a fascinating question: What if God were one of us? What if he lived a perfectly ordinary life on your street, and nobody even recognized him?
That reminds me of a story called “The Richest Man in the World.” Imagine the richest man in the world announces that he's going to grant one person every single wish they have. Absolutely anything. Whatever that person wishes for, they'll receive.
Now imagine you're one of ten people selected to take part in this competition. In one month, the winner will be announced. And here's the twist. The richest man in the world shares a secret with you that none of the other contestants know.
“Starting tomorrow, EVERY person you meet is actually the richest man in the world. In disguise. Playing a different role. Like an actor putting on a new costume every day.”
In other words, your friendly neighbor = The richest man in the world. The stressed-out sales assistant who just treated you rather rudely = The richest man in the world. Your colleague who regularly drives you up the wall = Also the richest man in the world. And even that person you barely notice because you're walking past them with your eyes glued to your phone = The richest man in the world, too.
For the next month, this man will be watching very closely how you treat him. Are you friendly? Do you show compassion and respect? Or do you simply ignore him?
Since you know the secret to winning, the challenge should be pretty simple: You'd have to treat every single person you meet with kindness. Because that's the only way you can win the competition. Knowing this, what would you start doing differently? Perhaps you'd smile at the sales assistant despite her bad mood. Or actually listen to your colleague instead of immediately arguing back.
And what about the people you barely notice? The ones who seemingly have “nothing to offer you,” so you don't pay them any attention? I find this idea absolutely fascinating. Because suddenly, every person matters. EVERYONE.
This reminds me of an idea from Bob Proctor that I love sharing in my keynotes. Imagine that every person you meet has an invisible Post-it note stuck to their forehead. And on that note are just four letters: MMFI – Make Me Feel Important. Make me feel that I matter.
Isn't that one of our deepest human desires? We all want to be seen, heard, and appreciated. Regardless of the title on our business card, how much money we earn, or how amazing our lives might appear from the outside.
Years ago, my former boss, Professor Reinhold Würth, gave one of our wonderful cleaning staff members a bar of chocolate. “Thank you for doing such a wonderful job here.”
“Mr. Würth, you really don't have to do that,” she replied, surprised.
“Your work is just as important as that of my most senior executive. Only when you do your job well do our customers get a good first impression and feel welcome here.”
That cleaning staff member wasn't simply the woman who cleaned the floors and kept them spotless. She was, and still is, an important part of the entire company. And that's exactly what Professor Würth showed her with that small gesture.
How often do we overlook people in our everyday lives whose work is absolutely essential to our success? We praise the salesperson who brings home the big deal. We celebrate the executive who delivers the numbers they committed to.
But what about the colleague who distributes the mail every day? The warehouse employee who makes sure the goods move safely from storage to the production area? Or the person who quietly and reliably gets their work done every single day without making a big fuss about it?
Perhaps this is one of the most important responsibilities of great leadership: Not judging people simply by their position, but recognizing and appreciating the value of their actual contribution.
And appreciation doesn't mean constantly showering people with compliments or telling everyone what they want to hear. It means truly seeing people.
Oh, wait. There was still that story about the richest man in the world.
What would happen if you imagined that invisible MMFI Post-it note on everyone's forehead and treated every person with the same kindness and respect? Could it be that, by doing so, you'd invite much more of what you wish to receive from others into your own life?
Sowing and reaping. The Law of Attraction. Call it whatever you like. Or, as Ernest Holmes so beautifully put it:
“When the time comes when nothing goes out from you except that which you would be glad to have return, then you will have reached your heaven.”
