Dave Packard, of Hewlitt-Packard fame, had a pretty amazing life. Back in 1958, speaking at a management convention, he shared some guiding principles for himself and the people working for him. It seems like developing some “rules of the road” for yourself will help guide your own actions and remove some uncertainty, and also make it easier for you to be a role model for the kind of behavior you expect from your employees.

The 11 rules are scattered all around the web (and were appropriated by Carly Fiorina in 1999, in what seems to be an attempt to suggest that she came up with them), but we thought we would put them here for your easy review:

1. Think first of the other fellow.
This is THE foundation — the first requisite — for getting along with others. And it is the one truly difficult accomplishment you must make. Gaining this, the rest will be “a breeze.”

2. Build up the other person’s sense of importance.
When we make the other person seem less important, we frustrate one of his deepest urges. Allow him to feel equality or superiority, and we can easily get along with him.

3. Respect the other man’s personality rights.
Respect as something sacred the other fellow’s right to be different from you. No two personalities are ever molded by precisely the same forces.

4. Give sincere appreciation.
If we think someone has done a thing well, we should never hesitate to let him know it. WARNING: This does not mean promiscuous use of obvious flattery. Flattery with most intelligent people gets exactly the reaction it deserves — contempt for the egotistical “phony” who stoops to it.

5. Eliminate the negative.
Criticism seldom does what its user intends, for it invariably causes resentment. The tiniest bit of disapproval can sometimes cause a resentment which will rankle — to your disadvantage — for years.

6. Avoid openly trying to reform people.
Every man knows he is imperfect, but he doesn’t want someone else trying to correct his faults. If you want to improve a person, help him to embrace a higher working goal — a standard, an ideal — and he will do his own “making over” far more effectively than you can do it for him.

7. Try to understand the other person.
How would you react to similar circumstances? When you begin to see the “whys” of him you can’t help but get along better with him.

8. Check first impressions.
We are especially prone to dislike some people on first sight because of some vague resemblance (of which we are usually unaware) to someone else whom we have had reason to dislike. Follow Abraham Lincoln’s famous self-instruction: “I do not like that man; therefore I shall get to know him better.”

9. Take care with the little details.
Watch your smile, your tone of voice, how you use your eyes, the way you greet people, the use of nicknames and remembering faces, names and dates. Little things add polish to your skill in dealing with people. Constantly, deliberately think of them until they become a natural part of your personality.

10. Develop genuine interest in people.
You cannot successfully apply the foregoing suggestions unless you have a sincere desire to like, respect and be helpful to others. Conversely, you cannot build genuine interest in people until you have experienced the pleasure of working with them in an atmosphere characterized by mutual liking and respect.

11. Keep it up.
That’s all — just keep it up!

You may agree with some of these, disagree with others. Whatever your feelings are about Packard’s choices, it would be good for you to develop a list like this for yourself, whether you publish it for others or just use it as your own set of guidelines. Having a personal philosophy about your professional life and your leadership can really help in making decisions and guiding your actions.