Bravado is Baloney

Bravado is Baloney

Another one of my thoughts that I shared originally last year — in my Business Networking Bites videos. I am sure many of us have heard the following sayings, and perhaps have even used them ourselves:

– Never let them see you sweat

– You read like an open book

– Keep your cards (weaknesses) close to your chest

All of these statements imply the same thing — do not show any weakness or vulnerability, but instead act with bravado.

Bravado, in this case, should not be confused with confidence. This is why I say ‘Bravado is Baloney’, as my personal opinion is that bravado is nonsense. Most people’s general intuition tells them when someone is being distant, trying to hide, pretending or defending a position that’s not worth defending or just being plain superficial. Therefore, there is actually no credibility in this and worse still is the case where there are pretending to be something that they are not as people will soon suss you out. In fact, I would go further and state it is very damaging as people may view you as dishonest and distrustful.

If you wish to respected and move your relationships to a deeper level and beyond the surface, one needs to open up. You need to confide in people more, trust them, and be real. This is not a sign of weakness (or as some say stupidity!) but a sign of strength as it takes courage to do so.

So, try and be more open and real. Share your concerns and vulnerabilities with people you feel you have some connection with. I say, lead emotionally first and that is let that be your pathway to developing relationships that are truly fulfilling

As always, I’d like to hear your thoughts, tweet @SafarazAli, and if you haven’t see my Business Networking Bites videos they can be seen here.