Wizard Versus Walter: Self-Promoters Versus the Truly Great

Self-promoters, those who continuously market themselves as “the best,” “a thought leader,” “the expert,” “the go-to guy,” “Superman,” etc., fascinate me. They often rocket to amazing heights rather quickly. They are seen on every podcast, featured in articles and regular speakers at conferences.?

But this glory is only for a season. Eventually, they fall out of the sky because what they were good at was self-promotion, not the knowledge or greatness they promoted!?

Talking a good game (self-promotion) does not equate to actually being good or even great at the game.?

Give me the person who everyone else holds up as “the best,” “a thought leader,” “the expert” while that person is trying to quell such priase. A true expert doesn’t call or consider himself or herself an expert, everyone else does. True “thought leaders” don’t consider themselves thought leaders; in fact, they are amazed anyone is interested in their opinions or thoughts.?

The truly great are more concerned about getting better and continuously learning than they are about telling others of their greatness. Self-promoters are like the Wizard of Oz, they hope you never look behind the curtain.?

Check to see who is promoting a person’s abilities before believing the press. If it is that person, be very suspect of the praise. If it’s others who are not related to the person and with nothing to gain personally, that’s a good indicator that the praise is earned.?

“When you're good at something, you'll tell everyone. When you're great at something, they'll tell you.” ― Walter Payton

Shun the Wizards and seek out the Walters!