Results and relationships — these two are the cornerstones of a great career. I learned this from Manager Tools. There are a lot of intricacies that go behind that claim, but essentially one cannot exist without the other.
Having great results can only take you so far. No matter how great you are, when you keep stepping on other people’s shoes or making other people feel inferior, you will not get so far. A time will come where you will reach a dead end.
On the other hand, no amount of schmoozing can make you likable enough to get on top. Yes, you may be liked by everyone, but at some point, you will hear “you’re nice and everyone likes you, but you haven’t done anything extraordinary either.”
One cannot exist without the other. If you want a great career, you need to have results and relationships.