Become the Real Deal: The Proven Path to Influence and Executive Presence

Foreword

Connie Dieken's Become the Real Deal strikes a chord with me. She says, “The world demands perfection, yet craves authenticity.” This is a challenge for many leaders. It's a challenge of identity and reputation, which I discuss extensively in my book Mojo.

Identity, or who you think you are, is subtle. Most people will answer this question based on others’ perceptions of them. For example, they will respond, “I think people perceive me as someone who . . .” I stop them when they start with this answer, and tell them to take everyone else in the world out of the equation, including their spouse, family, and closest friends, and ask them to consider how they perceive themselves. Often this question is followed by a long period of silence as they struggle to get their own self-image into focus. This is very telling, because without a firm handle on our identity, we may never be able to be our true and authentic selves.

Your reputation is your scoreboard

Reputation, or who other people think you are and what other people think you've done lately, are less subtle than the question about identity. Your reputation is a scoreboard that is kept by others. It's your coworkers, customers, friends, and sometimes even strangers, grabbing the right to grade your performance—and tell the rest of the world what they think about you! Although you can't be in total control of your reputation, you can maintain and improve it, and this can have an enormous impact on your ability to be “the ...