Self-promotion rarely comes easily for a true leader.  Nevertheless, a leader also knows how important it is that others in the organization know of his/her accomplishments in order to maintain a strong brand among the stakeholders of that organization.

If not used too often, wrapping a statement of accomplishment in gratefulness is one way of sharing the accomplishment without having others repulsed by any perceived egotism.  With sincerity (it won’t work any other way), the leader can express how grateful s/he is “for the work of his/her team in accomplishing the goals of _____________ and ______________ in the first quarter.”  The words “appreciate,” “thankful,” “grateful,” “fortunate,” and even “blessed;” are all words that show that the leader confidently knows s/he has  skills that yield significant accomplishments without the adverse perceptions that occur when a leader appears to be strutting or taking full credit for those accomplishments.

See the poster entitled Confident Humility for more on this subject and/or download the article entitled 7 Ways To Brag.

Categories: Communications, Competitive Style, Ego, Presentation Style