In the push to get attention, it is tempting to want to sum up our qualifications by calling ourselves gurus, experts, wizards, pundits, or mavens.
The challenge, however, is that sustainable, long-term success in reaching, teaching, and leading in a seriously noisy world won’t come from what we say about ourselves. That only perpetuates the temptation to shout more loudly.
This success, and dare I say, “your brand,” comes from what others experience.
For most of us this means that our one bona fide strategy is to do good work and keep making connections until those people themselves start connecting others to the experience you deliver.
It’s more like “put money in your savings account” than “get rich quick.” And it’s probably why we’ll never cease to be up to our ears in gurus.
Hmm. Interesting that this post coincides with Michael Hyatt’s [same date] “How to Be Perceived as an Expert in Your Field” . Hyatt’s advice:
1-Own it.
2-Declare it. (Put it on your business card, your website, and your official bio – Contradicts your blog post)
3-Share it. (a blog, a podcast, a speech, an online course, coaching, consulting, etc. – which IS more along the lines of what you’re saying)
4-Prove it. (endorsements in the form of testimonies, customer reviews, or case studies. These all provide third-party validation. )
5-Sell it. (ebooks, online courses, keynote speeches, and coaching programs)
Not that you really need an FYI – because you ARE tuned in.
Thanks for sharing, Kate.
This post was prompted by a comment stream I participated in on Facebook, and maybe the Hyatt post you reference sparked whoever initiated that discussion.
I’d also half guess that if we all were sitting and sharing a cup of coffee that we’d probably land in a similar place on #2. Declaration doesn’t make you anything, but you do need to stake a claim…and long before you’ve got testimonials et al, you’ve got to start somewhere.
As supporting evidence of where we’d all agree to disagree or have further discussion is the link I shared in the post about 181000 people calling themselves Twitter gurus. 181K is a small percentage of total Twitter or social media users, so they could all be experts. More likely I’d bet that many (most?) haven’t made it to steps four and five. So then what makes a guru, expert, maven, or…? The counter argument is that it’s the social proof.
Another article on this topic from Ronald Thomas, Chief Human Resources & Administration Officer, RGTS Group Inc. (27 November 2013):
“Expert, Ninja or Guru: All Expert Titles that are self-annointed” [http://www.hrzone.com/blogs/strategyfocusedhrus/beware-self-appointed-experts-%E2%80%94-who-anointed-them-anyway/141186]