The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success are from “The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea” by Bob Burg. While a work of fiction, it tells the story of ambition and the desire for success. The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success demonstrate the value of being a go-giver rather than a go-getter. 

These laws are principles of giving and receiving, not only simple business strategies. They may be applied to every aspect of your life: marriage, family, leadership, and friendship.

 

1. The Law of Value 

“Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.”

The first secret for success almost sounds like a recipe for bankruptcy–you must give more than what you could possibly receive! This is the primary reason why so many people are not successful. Every one of them is willing to get, but not everyone is willing to give. It is the difference between a great team member who will go above and beyond and a good team member who will simply get the job done on time and fulfill their minimum daily duties requirement. The difference between “average” and “exemplary” usually comes down to the extra effort required to innovate.

Similarly, a model business is one that offers higher quality products or services than any amount of money could pay for. This exceptional idea is what separates the “great” from the “good.” Consider this–all the great things and innovations in this world are created by people who have such a great love for their products more than the possible benefit they could gain. Think about the products and services you always turn to.

Therefore, the priority of the questions you ask when creating a business, product, or service should be:

• Does it serve?
• Does it add value to others?

And only after that, can you ask:

• • • Does it make money?

 

2. The Law of Compensation

“Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.”

While the first law emphasizes value, the second law emphasizes impact. Remember, an outstanding purpose statement is written as follows: We exist to {fill in the action} in order to {fill in the impact}. The more you can offer others, the more they are willing to pay for the service. A Kia and Mercedes Benz do the same thing: get you from point A to point B, both are well-made, and both are reliable. The difference is the quality of the service (the experience of driving the car). Therefore, people willing to spend much more for a Mercedes Benz find greater value in it. 

 

3. The Law of Influence

“Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interest first.”

Similar to the first law, this one sounds counterproductive. It requires you to take the focus off yourself and pour it into others. In a world of relentless competition, people only do business with those whom they have a relationship with. This means working with the people we know, like, and trust. By differentiating yourself from your competitors and putting others’ interests first, you will get what you need. The key to becoming an influencer is to attract people, and the secret of attraction is the genuine desire and love to give. 

This does not make you a pushover, nor does it mean you should allow others to take advantage of you. You do not have to give up your own desire and interests. It simply means you actively and consistently look for ways to provide value to others, focus on what they want, and make it your livelihood. This is the golden rule of business and is the fastest way to make people know, like, and trust you. 

In marriage, this law is about caring for your spouse’s happiness more than you do for your own. This works because, as you put your partner first, they will reciprocally put your interest as their priority. Therefore, you will be more likely to have a successful marriage. In contrast to common sense, fifty-fifty is never a winning proposition. 

 

4. The Law of Authenticity

“The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.”

While every skill you learn and develop is important, you must recognize it is more important to internalize what you learn and represent it authentically and consistently. Always be present in the now. Do not seek approval from other people. This law is about embracing being your true self continuously and spontaneously without being affected by anyone. 

There are two types of authentic values:

• Intrinsic value: your inherent natural skills.
• Market value: continue to learn and work on your problem so you could be a better authentic version of yourself.

It is about learning without becoming a copy of your teachers or mentors; instead, it is becoming a better version of yourself. The greatest value you can bring is your experience, personality, tone, body language, word choice, and way of thinking. These bring the most significant value you can add to each of your transactions, products, and services.

 

5. The Law of Receptivity

“The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.”

Each of the previous laws teaches you to give, while this one will teach you to receive. This is a commonsense law. Think about when you buy groceries–you exchange the value of your labor in the form of payment. Do they provide exceeding value? (only you know the answer to that). You need both giving and receiving to grow and not to become stagnated. When you focus on delivering value to others, you earn the right to receive. Thus, you are allowing yourself to receive it. In fact, giving is made possible because it is also a receiving.

The truth is that most of us are afraid of receiving due to several factors:

• We live in a culture that overemphasizes independence and privacy, personal effort, and hard work.
• We feel we do not deserve what we have.
• Being open to receive might mean that we are weak and vulnerable.

Don’t refuse the gifts of others and shut yourself down. Receiving is the secret of staying young, vibrant, and vital throughout your life. 

Examples of being receptive include:

• Allowing others to help you grow and reach your dreams.
• Being curious and believing in yourself.
• Giving more so that you can receive more.
• Learning from a mentor.

 

In short, the secret to getting is giving, and the secret to giving is to make yourself open to receiving. Embrace this, and you will thrive.