Do You Promote Yourself Enough?

You might want to scribble that question down and think about it. It’s not a particularly easy one to answer. It is an important one, though.

As I look back over my life, I realize that I did not do a particularly good job of promoting myself. Oh there were times that I actually over-promoted myself, but by and large I did not do enough promotion. I’m not even good at it now. Even on this website, I do not do much to promote it, because I think the content should sell itself (that’s idealistic thinking, by the way, not realistic). Also, it has always seemed to me that self-promotion conflicts with humbleness, a quality that I very much admire.

I was wrong in thinking that self-promotion always conflicts with humbleness, though. For example, I know someone who was on a Presidential Task Force and has more awards and accomplishments than you can “shake a stick at,” but he is one of the most genuinely humble people I have ever met. Yet, he did not get where he is without some self-promotion.

Warren Buffett is another good example: obviously accomplished and successful and not afraid of selling himself, yet he is humble, too.

Well, hopefully I’ve given you something to think about. I can’t answer the question for you, but I do believe the question is worthy of your attention.