All Eyes on MeAt the conference, I also overheard some valuable tidbits for me to keep in mind. It's really nothing earth-shattering, but still important.
I was assigned to take photos during the Chief Executive Initiative, a forum for Asian executives in the Bay Area. One of the interesting points I heard was that Asians generally do not have swagger and do not know how to brag. This is so true and has to do with the fact that we are brought up as children not to show off, not to stick out, etc. I think this characteristic is one reason Asians as a group generally do not make it far in corporate America, where the braggart gets ahead. A "do-er" will not get ahead, it's those people to talk about doing stuff and talk to the right people in power who move up the ladder.
This is not the first time I've heard this mind you. However, I find it a huge shame that we have to brag in order to get ahead. I dislike bragging and swaggering for the following reason:
1. If I brag about something, and then something bad happens, I would look really stupid and people will be snickering behind my back about how I failed. This is something I really dislike and try to avoid at all costs. It's very embarrassing because you lose face and the respect of your team. I prefer to be conservative and not celebrate prematurely. This is why I may come across as unemotional even when good things happen, but this strategy keeps me sane. I don't like emotional rollercoasters! Stability is good and safe.
Look where bragging and swagger got George W. Bush - into a huge mess! He turned into the laughing stock of the world with his "Mission Accomplished" fiasco. Remember how shortly after the invasion of Iraq, he was wearing a leather bomber jacket and posed with the a banner stating "Mission Accomplished" on a aircraft carrier? Little did he know that the war would drag on and prove to be very unpopular amongst Americans. Maybe if Americans tried being more modest the world would be a better place.
Just a thought.
