Episode 88 - To Impress, Do Less

<p class="p1"><strong>Summary</strong></p> <p class="p2">You’ve heard the well-known Oscar Wilde quote “Be yourself - everyone else is already taken”. Yet we often tempted to be something that we’re not. But the research shows us to impress, do less.</p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p1"><strong>Transcript</strong></p> <p class="p2">Hello and welcome to episode 88 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we tackle one of today’s biggest leadership challenges. This week discover that a great way to impress is to do less.</p> <p class="p2">You’ve heard the well-known Oscar Wilde quote “Be yourself - everyone else is already taken”. Yet we often tempted to be something that we’re not. We often try to present ourselves the way we think others want to see us, rather than as we truly are.</p> <p class="p2">If that sounds like you, you’re not alone. Research shows that, when given the opportunity, 66% of people try to impress by catering to the other person’s needs. In addition, 71% thought catering would be the best approach. Research also demonstrates that trying to impress is precisely the wrong strategy, especially when it comes at the expense of being ourselves.</p> <p class="p2">This is particularly the case when we don’t know much about the people we’re trying to impress. That could include a presentation, a job interview, a sales pitch or a range of other scenarios.</p> <p class="p2">To explore this further researchers set up a scenario where people were applying for a fictional job. Participants in the study were then placed into one of two groups. The first group was encouraged to be themselves - to try to be genuine and authentic. The second group was encouraged to try to position themselves in the way they thought aligned with the interviewer’s expectations and interests - to cater to their needs. Those who were encouraged to just be themselves were 26% more likely to be hired than those who tried to become something they weren’t in an effort to impress.</p> <p class="p2">A second study was conducted