THE H A BIT 0 F DOl N G M 0 RET HAN P A I D FOR 583When you do only that for which you are paid, there is nothing
out of the ordinary to attract favorable comment about the transaction.
But when you willingly do more than that for which you are paid,
your action attracts the favorable attention of all who are affected by
it, and goes another step toward establishing a reputation that will
eventually set the law of increasing returns to work on your behalf, for
this reputation will create a demand for your services.
Carol Downes went to work for W. C. Durant, the head of General
Motors, in a minor position yet quickly became Mr. Durant's right-
hand man and the president of one of his automobile distributing
companies. He promoted himself into this profitable position solely
through the aid of the law of increasing returns, which he put into
operation by rendering more service and better service than that for
which he was paid.
In a visit with Mr. Downes I asked him to tell me how he had
managed to gain promotion so rapidly. In a few brief sentences he
told the whole story.
"When I first went to work for Mr. Durant," he said, "I noticed
that he always remained at the office long after all the others had
gone home for the day, and I made it my business to stay there also.
No one asked me to stay, but I thought someone should be there to
give Mr. Durant any assistance he might need. Often he would look
around for someone to bring him a file, or render some other trivial
service, and always he found me there ready to serve him. He got into
the habit of calling on me. That is about all there is to the story."
((He got into the habit oj calling on me.)) Read that sentence again, for
it is full of meaning of the richest sort.
And why did Mr. Durant get into the habit of calling on Mr.
Downes? Because Mr. Downes made it his business to be on hand
where he would be seen. He deliberately placed himself in a position