From a low-level employee to the janitor, to the cashier at the grocery store…

How do we talk to the people who can’t possibly help our careers?

There’s a well-known trick in Hollywood: If you want to make a character likable, show them being loved by dogs and children.

Want to make a character instantly hate-able? Show them being mean to dogs and children.

Simple, right? But it works.

Powerful people (and reality TV stars, while we’re at it) are great at “turning on the charm." At schmoozing with people who are important to them.

But the minute the cameras are off, their more abusive natures reveal themselves.

As leaders, it’s not how we talk to investors that matters. It’s how we talk to all the little people along the way who don’t hold our future in their hands.

If you see a leader who is kind to “important” people but different to everyone else? Run. Run far, far away.

To the Americans in the crowd: Happy 250th! May the grand experiment continue.