Archive: Nice guys can finish first

The 2012 British Grand Prix recently saw straight-talking Aussie Mark Webber win his second race of the season. Generally seen as the nice guy of Formula 1, he's often found to have been wanting by more ruthless opponents such as Messrs Vettel, Alonso or Hamilton.

What Webber represents is the bridesmaid but never the bride, the friend zone, the 'nice guy'. He fought right to the end in the 2010 season when so many internal decisions were made at his detriment to push Vettel to the title. The 2011 season was a write off for all but the German, but Webber is streets ahead of his team mate at this stage in the current campaign.

It seems so often in sport and in business that ruthlessness pays off when more honourable tactics deserved so much more.

A cut-throat industry such as marketing needs these honest types to show that we're not all in it for the glory, but for the benefit of those spending their money - the client. Of course opportunities are won by any means necessary, but does that really make us feel good when we do win?

Not for me.

Winning, and winning fairly create wholly different emotions. The former is sealed in a hand shake or pat on the back, the latter with unrivalled joy to carry through to the next project.

This is typified by changing reward schemes whereby businesses recognise employee success in customer service, not just sales. They won because they completed the ultimate aim: customer satisfaction.

A change indeed and very much a change we need.