Raise your hand if you have worked with a braggart? You know, the person who’s always telling you how great they are. It doesn’t matter how many individuals contributed to the success of the project; the braggart claims all the credit.
When I was in the military and assigned to an aviation unit, I worked with several pilots. As the only non-aviator, I spent my first several weeks learning their language. Every day, my colleagues would spend time bragging about their experiences.
Although I was the only non-aviator in the group, I learned to hold my on during the conversations. As we would banter back and forth, we’d laugh and try to top each other’s stories.
Over time, I came to not only enjoy our afternoon sessions but to look forward to them. However, one day everything changed. One of our team members moved to a different assignment and new pilot was assigned to our group.
During our afternoon bragging session, I noticed our new colleague was different. He thought he was the best thing since sliced bread, and he would dominate the conversation. It didn’t matter what we were talking about; he always had to top everyone.
My colleague would brag about everything. As a result of his behavior, no one wanted to work with him. Robin Hobb said, “The man who must brag for himself knows that no one else will.” Needless to say, he wasn’t very successful and eventually he was reassigned.
As a leader, we need to share our accomplishments without bragging. So, how do we share our success in a humble, authentic and respectful manner?
In her article, Seven Ways To Talk About Your Accomplishments Without Sounding Like A Braggart, Amy Morin offers the following wise counsel on how to effectively promote yourself:
- Keep the focus on your hard work
- Don’t put other people down
- Give credit where credit is due
- Stick to the facts and don’t embellish
- Always express gratitude
- Don’t add a qualifier to your statement
- Avoid the humble-brag
To own your success, you must be comfortable with sharing your contributions and achievements.
“Bragging makes you seem less impressive, not more impressive. If you are doing something worth bragging about, others will brag for you.”
Dave Willis
How do you share your contributions and achievements?
Your leadership guide,
Kim
Dr. Kim Moore | Your Leadership Guide | kimdmoore.com
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