Focus: Can nice people succeed?

What does it take to succeed? Is it good looks, the sweet talk or good old hard work that takes you up the corporate ladder?

According to economics professor Daniel Hamermesh, good looking people get promoted quicker and tend to have higher ranking jobs and because of that, they bring in more money for their companies, which makes them more successful. Are corporate environments discriminating and making it harder for people to succeed if they are not willing to be a sycophant?

In this week’s debate our focus is on what it takes to succeed and whether or not nice people have what it takes to survive in a corporate environment.

Following are the statements to be debated:

• Hard work and intellect are the only things that carry longevity in a corporate environment.

• Looks and sycophancy are the only ways to succeed.

Participants will be required to clearly state whether they are ‘for’ or ‘against’ the statement and provide their supporting arguments for the same.

If you would like to participate, send us a request at readers@gulfnews.com