If you're very clever, being nice is a chore. However, when you need to influence people–it's a requirement. I think Penelope has the right approach in the article below: tap into your own good intentions and generosity. It's hard work but it's not less important work.

Penelope Trunk Careers: 5 Ways to Make People Think You're Nice, 2014-Apr-28 by Penelope Trunk

it turns out that creativity is to McDonalds salad as kindness is to the Big Mac: people always tell market researcher they want a salad at Mc Donald’s, but once they are at the counter and actually ordering food, they order a Big Mac.

Which is to say that I am figuring out new ways to make people think I’m nice, since creative by itself isn’t cutting it.