Pop quiz: When you think about all of the personality traits or habits that you could develop to be successful in business, which one doesn’t come to mind. Whether or not you are nice to people does not seem to matter much in business at all on the surface. But the truth is somewhat different.

In this article, we’ll discuss why some of the richest, most successful and famous people in the world consider being nice to others as one of their top business priorities. You’ll find out just what the benefits are, and what can happen in business if you aren’t nice to others.

• The Successful Businessman

The shark investor or the grouchy businessman are common themes in books and movies, but the truth is, most successful people are well known for being nice to other people. That’s because they have learned that in the long run, it nets them more rewards. If you look at Bill Gates, Larry Page or any of the big tech millionaires out there, you’ll find that they value kindness and decency in themselves and people around them just as much as programming ability or education. So, why is this the case? Simple leadership. When you are nice to other people, but still stand out as someone to be respected and admired, you have figured out one of the most effective leadership models out there. People will follow someone that treats them with kindness. They will work harder for you. They won’t mind sharing their ideas with you. In general, you just do better in business when this happens.

• What Happens When You’re Not Nice?

So, what happens when you are not nice? You might be able to get people to work harder for you for a while, but when you aren’t looking they are going to be slacking. If you treat people horribly then they will find little ways to get back at you, and they certainly aren’t going to come to you with their best ideas, which means that you could miss out big. Finally, think about the people around you right now. If you were mean to them would it come back to bite you at some point down the road. If you treat people well, there is a good chance that they will be valuable to you if you should encounter them somewhere down the road.