University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Brag!
Book

Brag!

The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It

Peggy Klaus
Warner Books, 2003
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

Do you believe that it is unseemly to brag about yourself? Well, Hall of Fame pitching great Dizzy Dean would differ with you. As he said, “It ain’t bragging if you done it.” Author Peggy Klaus agrees wholeheartedly. In this book extolling bragging, Klaus explains that strategic self-promotion often is the best way to avoid being overlooked (and possibly downsized) in the dog-eat-dog business world. Of course, when you brag, you should not seem to be doing so. Klaus explains how to accomplish this dodge gracefully. Anyone in business could benefit from Klaus’s savvy advice. Just don’t be a “brag bomb” and let all that success go to your head.

Summary

The Myths of Bragging

If the people at your job don’t see you as a valuable commodity, you are toast. In the old days, you could often work at one company for decades or even for your entire career. Today, companies and their employees are in a state of never-ending flux. Downsizing, mergers and layoffs mean almost constant change. How do you stand out in such a volatile environment? There’s only one way: make sure the people at work know all about your abilities and achievements. And how do they gain this all-important knowledge? If you subscribe to the venerable performance myth, “A job well done speaks for itself,” they will never know.

Following a few other myths also will get you nowhere: speak positively about yourself only during employment reviews, be humble to get noticed, let others speak about your good points and, if you’re not getting your point across about what an outstanding employee you are, quickly deliver lots of personal plus points in rapid-fire, staccato order. The last myth, for women, is that bragging isn’t ladylike. None of these myths hold water. You must begin to brag about yourself. Sure, self-promotion has negative connotations, but...

About the Author

Peggy Klaus is a communication and leadership coach who works with Fortune 500 corporations and other firms to help executives with self-presentation and promotion.

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