A principle I learned in geometry has always stayed with me – the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. In life, this approach is based on the fundamental principle that establishing trust is the foundation of any relationship and that a win-win outcome creates far greater value in the long run than one-upmanship.

In a complex world where we know of people not being entirely upfront and honest, being straightforward can sometimes be viewed as being naïve and not ‘street smart’.  This would be picking up the wrong end of the stick and underestimating the power of plainly stating our point of view, and deeply listening to the other in order to arrive at an acceptable way forward. Not only does it take the shortest time, but it also builds confidence; nothing can be smarter than that.

Sometimes a needle does the job which a sword cannot. I remember when we had a tax refund stuck for the longest time because we wouldn’t pay the inspector for processing it, I decided to personally meet him to plainly explain why we could not pay him. I said to him that the taxes we pay, through his department goes to building roads, schools, hospitals and infrastructure in villages so that children there could get opportunities to progress in life. I simply said that we were both partners in building the country. I was amazed at this corrupt official’s reaction – he started telling me about some of the charity he does in life, he apologized and promised to get our refund processed in a month, which he did.

I realized that day that the power of sincerity shortens the distance between two people, even when they are coming from very different paradigms. This is true not just in the professional context but in our personal lives as well.

Life has so much to offer and there are so many relationships and experiences we can give ourselves to enrich our lives. If we find ourselves getting stuck endlessly in disputes, negotiations and ego, we need to take a step back and probably change our approach by reminding ourselves of the simple principle – the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

( Picture – Cernobbio, Italy )