The financial services industry, especially Wall Street, has an image of toughness. Only the meanest, most selfish characters get ahead. Or, so the stereotype has it.

Sure, you'll meet more than a few odious characters in this industry, as you will in others. And, unfortunately, some of them will have risen far. In "AM New York," a free paper handed out during the morning commute at subway stops, I found this recent essay about getting ahead by being nice. This is certainly the strategy that I've pursued, mainly from conviction about doing the right thing, but also because it did indeed pay dividends.

Too often, I've seen that old saw about "what goes around, comes around" come into play. If you treat people with respect and consideration, and show gratitude for their help, they'll tend to help you out when you need them, even if their jobs don't require it. Meanwhile, those who try to get what they want through fear or intimidation ultimately only inspire plots against them, some of which actually come to fruition. Beware.