It is no secret that the business world regards the notion of self-promotion as self-service in disguise, and especially for a highly ranked official such as a CEO. It is surely an idea that is, often times, seen as incredibly annoying, haughty and, to say the least, occasionally nauseating. But the truth is, there is a way to talk about the great things you do without having to sound like you are bragging. Here are some very important tactics:
Do not be the only one that talks
We don’t doubt you are extremely knowledgeable about your industry, however if you monopolize the conversation people will begin to tune you out. If you only talk about yourself you are indeed promoting yourself, however not in a good way and in most cases it will turn people away as well as make them avoid you in the future. Try to listen more than you talk and ask a lot of questions to engage your audience.
Provide value to your employees
The best possible way to promote yourself is to provide value to others. Share what you have learned and help others. Not only will you create a better environment in your office, but taking a servant leadership role will help others respect you more and brag about you as a helpful and reliable CEO. Let others promote you, don’t look to the media and other sources to promote yourself.
Be modest
You hear this one a lot, but it really is a good tactic for life. Don’t inflate your achievements. Obviously you worked hard to get there and if it comes up in an educational setting, go ahead and share it with whomever you are talking to, however if you are going on and on about your innovations and accomplishments, people will feel diminished and not enjoy talking or learning from you. Don’t exaggerate your own worth or people may not believe your next accomplishment and definitely won’t feel proud or happy for you.
Although it is important to take credit for your own accomplishments, it is, at least, as important to share that credit when others contributed to your wins. If you are not generous with your colleagues, that small-mindedness can come back to bite you.
Open up your challenges and failures. When people empathize with your journey, they are more likely to appreciate and celebrate your results and treat your success as an inspiration, rather than a source of distress.