SECRET 20

Have Friends in Low Places

I found that [Holmes] had many acquaintances, and those in the most different classes of society.

—A STUDY IN SCARLET

 

 

 

 

 

Sherlock Holmes had an incredible intellect and razor-keen instincts; his clients included members of the highest echelons of London society, and if anyone deserves the label elite, it’s Holmes. However, he wouldn’t have been nearly as successful if it hadn’t been for a ragtag group of street urchins known as the Baker Street Irregulars. These dirty, uncouth kids regularly supplied Holmes with the street-level information he needed to solve crimes. He called them “the Baker Street division of the detective police force,” and he was only half-joking. “There’s more work to be got out of one of those little beggars than out of a dozen of the force,” Holmes remarked in A Study in Scarlet. “The mere sight of an official-looking person seals men’s lips. These youngsters, however, go everywhere and hear everything. They are as sharp as needles, too; all they want is organization.”

A few years later, in The Sign of Four, Holmes again calls for the help of the Irregulars to track down some vital information, and again tells Watson that they “can go everywhere, see everything, overhear everyone.”

Holmes, of course, could have spent his time hobnobbing with royalty or sipping brandy with the head of Scotland Yard. But he knew the importance of hanging on to his friendships with the lower classes. He knew how helpful they could be and realized that to be a success—the best detective in all of England, if not the world—he needed every possible edge he could get.

When we learn to disable our mental judgment switch and stop saying no to people based on their outward appearance, a whole new world of opportunities opens up. By focusing on the quality of the case rather than the quality of the client’s outfit (or his or her ability to pay), Holmes was able to hone his skills on some of the most challenging mysteries London had to offer—poor people, it seems, get into just as much trouble as the rich. As he solved each successive mystery, his reputation grew, which in turn attracted more clients, some with very deep pockets. So in the end, Holmes’s willingness to say yes to London’s lower classes wound up benefiting him not just professionally and artistically but financially as well.

His relationship with the Irregulars also underscores the point that Holmes was smart enough to realize his limitations. He was a tough guy, no doubt about it, but as an expert in many fields himself, he understood the importance of relying on experts in other areas where he wasn’t as proficient. The Irregulars certainly qualified as experts in the rough-and-tumble world of the London peasant class.

Unfortunately, too many successful people don’t follow Holmes’s example. As soon as they get that big promotion and fancy title, they have little use for the secretaries, mailroom attendants, and junior-level interns who work on the lower floors. They’d much rather spend their time schmoozing with the boss or squeezing in a round of golf with their buddies on a Friday afternoon. The same is true in social settings, as well: At one time or another, we’ve all met someone who evaluates people based on the number of zeros in their bank account. If you drive a BMW and wear Gucci, they’re all smiles—but they barely notice the clerk at the grocery store, and don’t think twice about treating the neighborhood babysitter like an indentured servant.

This birds-of-a-feather mentality can backfire, though. Any senior executive worth his or her salt will tell you that it pays to be nice to people on the way up the ladder, because you may find yourself saying hello to them on the way down as well. And inevitably, a day will come when Ms. Power Suit is late for a meeting and desperately needs help from the Lowly Ones to put together a report. Will they jump to her aid, or take their own sweet time (or pretend they can’t find the stapler)?

Keeping the lines of communication open between everyone, not just a select few, can reap other dividends, too. The CEO may call the shots, but the CEO’s secretary is the true power broker. The modern-day Baker Street Irregulars of the corporate world are the gatekeepers; they decide which calls get forwarded to voicemail and which e-mails mysteriously find their way into the junk folder. The same principle holds true outside the office—treating the person behind the desk at the DMV with respect is not only the right thing to do, but can also get you out the door a lot quicker! Taking the time to cultivate all of life’s relationships—the big and the little—can reap great rewards down the line.