Are You a Visionary Guru Thought Leader?
Bruce Kasanoff
I'll Tell You Your Story Idea Is Boring (Then Help You Find a Better One) | Ghostwriter for Growth-Focused CEOs | 500K LinkedIn Subscribers
Here's a riddle for you: if someone is a visionary, or a guru, or a thought leader, why can't they figure out that it's always a bad idea to call yourself a visionary, or a guru, or a thought leader?
Answer: insightful people know that self-praise offends people.
If you wish to show a potential employer that you are intelligent, which of these two options would be best?
a.) Put "genius" on your resume or LinkedIn profile.
b.) Tell the truth, that you were granted three patents while still in high school and that you graduated from college in three years.
The correct answer is B. If you are smart, you already know that.
But what if you weren't granted three patents? What if you took four years - or maybe five - to graduate college? You're not a genius, and you shouldn't say so.
Let's try another quiz. Which is more impressive?
a.) The New York Times (or whatever newspaper you like best) praises you on their front page as "a uniquely insightful and accomplished professional".
b.) You praise yourself as "a uniquely insightful and accomplished professional".
Yep, the right answer is A. Third-party endorsements are roughly 120,000 times more impressive than when you endorse yourself.
I've been thinking about writing this article for a couple of years, but never published it before because I don't want to embarrass others. My guess is that many thousands of people have guru, thought leader or visionary in the tagline or summary or their LinkedIn profile.
I finally decided that it is better to have someone be uncomfortable for a day or two, than to allow them to spin their wheels month after month, and year after year.
So if you are a self-proclaimed visionary, make today the day you do something that is truly insightful and inspired. Take that word off your LinkedIn profile, resume, web site and desk plaque.
One last thing. Earning an MBA is not like becoming a doctor. You don't add "MBA" after your name.
Impress people through your actions and ideas. That's a visionary idea.
Bruce Kasanoff is a ghostwriter for entrepreneurs and executives. Learn more at Kasanoff.com. He is the author of How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk.
Freelance Broadcast Video Engineering
9yBeing honest and making your deeds speak for you is one thing everyone should strive for, but nobody besides you is going to toot your horn for you.
This is very fair Bruce. However as you know 'keywords' like MBA or a professional certification are a must to be discovered at all. It’s a sad reality. I agree though that letting your actions speak for themselves is a must. Too bad actions require someone to write down the results. Most of the time it ends up being the person doing it...unless someone notices or you ask them to write something.
People are the most valuable resource any business has. Let's work together to help you hire better , support, motivate and reward your team for less turnover, higher productivity and success for all!
9yI very much agree with letting the facts speak for themselves. If the goal is to inform with the hope to impress, that is a trait most others can live with.
I'm not sure how "Rock Star" ever got into the vernacular. Dresses weird, whacked out on drugs, self-centered, self-destructive, some things I probably shouldn't say here. Now, if you said "Bass Player" that would be different - comfortable out of the spotlight, lets others get the attention, always supportive and in sync with the team, but if that person disappears, everyone says "what happened"?
Great insight Bruce....just changed my tagline :-)! It's tough striking a balance between being direct and clear about what you do well, and sounding pompous. I'm sure I still have a few more iterations for mine before I get it right....thanks for the challenge