Plutarch writes, “we should welcome and foster friendships that we form on the basis of equality and justice.” We need that reminder. Why? Because, how many of your relationships are based on that framework?
Manager > Individual Contributor
Executive > Everybody not executive.
Parent > child.
Have > have not.
Friend of status > friend of little status.
How many of these relationships might benefit from a more equal and fair framework?
That said, are all things equal? I think reasonable people can debate that. I offer a simple framework. Ask yourself these questions when working with someone of higher/lower (just to use those words) status: As I look at this person, do I see the story they are telling themselves about themselves? Can I tell myself that story? Can I see that I likely tell myself a similar story about myself?
If you can answer definitively “yes”,” then you can start working with that person. Why? Because that “yes” enables you to approach that person with empathy and compassion for their story and their person.
The question I ask myself… why are we still trying to figure out how to work with people centuries later?