Swagger Unleash everything you are and become everything you want

The Case for Swagger When I ask people what they want to get out of training or coaching with me, it's usually that they want to "come across as more confident." It doesn't matter whether it's a leadership, creativity, or communication skills session--people just want to look like they know what they're talking about. It seems that we associate success with the illusion of having it all together. Let's be real: we all marvel at those who can walk into a room and instantly command it. Their self-assuredness radiates off them in waves; they seem so effortlessly in command of themselves, and no one seems able to resist their peacock charisma. If you Google "How can I come across as more confident?" you'll find more than sixteen million results, including "7 Ways to Look Really Confident (Even When You're Not)," "7 Conversational Tricks to Appear More Confident," and "How to Fake Being More Confident When You're Just Not Feeling It." It seems we are so obsessed with looking badass that we're even prepared to lie about it! There's a ton of research reinforcing the almighty power of a confident persona. Just one example: a University of Sussex study recently demonstrated that the "brain is wired to allow confident people to influence our beliefs.1" Holy crap! Does that make the opposite true as well? No confidence = no credibility = no power of persuasion? No wonder there's so much focus on developing a "swagger-y" front. But what if you're going about this all wrong? What if the time you're spending to build the bullshit face of perfection you think the world wants and needs from you is actually getting in the way of achieving your real goal? And what if the outward appearance of swagger is just strut over substance, more "full of crap" than "full of confidence"? What if swagger is something altogether different than what we've been led to believe? It's time to shatter some of the myths that keep us from achieving true swagger. Excerpted from Swagger: Unleash Everything You Are and Become Everything You Want by Leslie Ehm All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.