Caring and beyond

In teenage years, those who care least acquire the most admiration from peers. That admiration—and the seeming lack of care itself—are rather unstable and inauthentic most of the time, because conforming to the group takes precedence over almost anything else during that stage of development.

Later in adulthood, the situation steadily reverses. The ones who care accrue the highest prestige. This is not universally true in all environments and peer groups, but it is true in most circumstances, particularly in “higher status” strata of society and in the context of work.

But this is not enough. There are different levels of caring, and one can be terrible, an all-star, or somewhere in between, as is the case in any endeavor.

Will Guidara, co-founder of Eleven Madison Park and other successful hospitality businesses, argues strongly in favor of “unreasonable hospitality”—the unwavering commitment to going above and beyond to provide excellent experiences to his customers.

This is a differentiator in business and life, and it has to do with care. You can’t be fully in service of others if you don’t care enough, or if you’re not invested in the practice of being of service to others toward something greater than yourself.

Uncompromising care can be applied to any business and aspect of life. It is the source of life itself. Consistent care makes life exist; it allows the garden to continue flourishing instead of becoming an unattended bush.

Not everything must be cared about with equal attention. A few things, done well, at least as a start. The way you do things bleeds through the final outcome, even if seemingly no one notices.

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