By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
Being bold can be a huge advantage professionally
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Today, we are going to break down how you can completely transform your professional presence. We’re going to dive into the power of boldness, but I’m talking about the kind that gets you noticed for all the right reasons. You know the feeling, right? We’ve all been there.
You’re in a meeting or maybe a job interview, and you have the perfect insight, the absolute perfect question, but you just hesitate. And by the time you finally work up the nerve, the conversation has moved on. The moment’s gone.
And look, in a competitive job market, that single moment can be everything. We’re not just talking about missing a beat in a conversation. We’re talking about missed opportunities, a connection that you didn’t make, a point you didn’t score, maybe even a job you didn’t win.
It’s a tiny moment that can have huge consequences. So let’s get into it. Why do we freeze up like that? And what is it really costing us in the long run? This right here is the heart of the problem.
You know, the people who really succeed, the ones getting the promotions or starting their own thing, they don’t stop themselves. They act. They take the shot.
They put themselves out there. While so many of us, well, we become our own biggest roadblock. And here’s the crazy part.
That hesitation feels natural for a reason. Think about it. From the time we’re kids, the whole system is kind of designed to reward conformity.
In school, you’re often told to be quiet, do what you’re told. Your first job, you succeed by being obedient and just following instructions. We are literally programmed to fit in, not to stand out.
OK, so if hesitation is the enemy, then boldness has to be the answer. But, and this is absolutely crucial, we have to understand that being bold is not about being the loudest person in the room. It’s not about being obnoxious.
Let’s get this definition straight. See, confidence is just a feeling. It’s internal.
But boldness, that’s what you do with that feeling. It’s about taking that chance, asking for the raise, introducing yourself to that person across the room. It is an active skill, not just some passive trait you’re born with.
And this is where it gets really interesting. This is the critical difference. Arrogance is all about competition.
An arrogant person hears your story and their first instinct is, how can I top that? Boldness, on the other hand, it’s collaborative. A bold person asks questions. They make you feel important.
And that, right there, is what makes them so memorable. Right, so before you can actually act bold, you’ve got to do some work on that inner voice. You know, the one that’s been programmed for years to just conform.
This is all about making a conscious, internal mindset shift. This is your new mantra. Seriously, you have to make a conscious choice to feel like you belong.
It doesn’t matter if you’re in a room with billionaires or you’re the most underdressed person at some fancy event. You’re a human being just like them. Feeling like you don’t belong? That’s a choice.
So just choose the opposite. And check out this story. It just brilliantly illustrates the power of that mindset.
As a teenager, Steven Spielberg put on a suit, walked onto a studio lot, and just started working. For a whole month, nobody questioned him. Why? Because his actions screamed confidence.
He was there. So he must belong there. Simple as that.
Now, if you’re worried about what other people are going to think of you, let me give you a liberating truth. People are not thinking about you. Or at least not nearly as much as you think they are.
They might spare you a thought for, I don’t know, three to eight seconds, and then boom, they go right back to their all-time favorite subject, themselves. Knowing this frees you up to act without that paralyzing fear of being judged. Okay, let’s get practical.
How do we actually build this up? Well, just like any muscle, boldness gets stronger the more you exercise it. And the good news is you can start with some really simple, low-stakes reps. So here are your first steps, things you can do today.
First, smile at people until someone doesn’t smile back. And then just notice that nothing bad happens. Second, give someone a compliment with zero agenda.
Like, hey, that’s a great hat, and just walk away. And third, in a conversation, instead of trying to top their story, just ask, tell me more about that. These are tiny acts of generosity that build your confidence like crazy.
So are you ready to level up? Here’s an exercise that’s a little crazier, yeah, but it’s incredibly effective at just demolishing your self-consciousness. I want you to try this. Put a Band-Aid on your forehead or your cheek and just go about your day.
You’re going to feel like everyone is staring at you, but you’ll also have a breakthrough realization. So what if they are? The whole experience teaches you that self-consciousness is something we do to ourselves, and if we create it, we can also defeat it. Okay, so this is the crucial part.
How does all this mindset work and these funny exercises, how does it actually translate into the high-stakes world of a job interview? How do you use boldness to really stand out and get hired? This, my friends, is the ultimate bold skill. People famously said this about Bill Clinton, that when he spoke to you, he had this incredible way of locking in that made you feel like you were the only person on earth for those 30 seconds. That kind of focused attention is absolutely magnetic, and it’s a skill anyone can learn.
So here’s the playbook. One of the great secrets of interviewing is this, the more they talk, the more they like you. Your job is not to deliver some long monologue about all your skills.
No, your job is to be curious, to ask intelligent questions about the interviewer’s own challenges, their successes, make them the hero of the story. I promise you, they will leave that room thinking you are brilliant and fascinating, even if they actually know very little about you. And that really just leaves us with one final thought.
So many people worry about being too much, but what’s the real alternative? Being not enough? Being forgettable? The real risk in your career isn’t standing out. The real risk is blending in so perfectly that you are never even seen at all.
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ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
People hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS Career Advice globally because he makes many things in peoples’ careers easier. Those things can involve job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading better, career transition, as well as advice about resolving workplace issues.
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