There are tips on how to look smarter than you really are, how to look more important during meetings, how to sound like you know what you’re talking about even if you don’t, and how you can earn authority. standing in a pose of power or taking up more space during meetings. But here’s the thing, fake it will never give you career success like hard work and a career plan. Because falsification leaves out the most important part of the equation – effort.
There is a fine line between feeling confident and outright lying. Forbes experts Susan O’Brien and Lisa Quest talk about when the Fake it till you make it method is useful and when it is not.
When will it help
Many of us would like to improve some element of our character or personality that we feel may be holding us back. Perhaps you would like to be more confident, disciplined, or ambitious. If we can clearly define what it is, we can start by changing our behavior to make it more natural over time.
For example, one of the most common problems many people face is a lack of trust. As your business grows or moves up the corporate ladder, you will most likely need to give a presentation to a room full of people, offer an idea, a product, or raise money. Even if you know your material backwards, if you’re unsure about such a situation, you can still feel nauseous for hours. There’s only one way to get through this – force yourself to do it anyway. Swallow your fear, stand up and deliver your message. In truth, until you completely fall apart, no one will even know how nervous you were at the time because you acted like you felt different.
The same applies to those who are not extroverted. The idea of meeting and talking to new people intimidates them and, frankly, they would be more at ease in the dentist’s chair. But the desire to evaporate and disappear will not improve the chances of success. Instead, force yourself to act as if you are not afraid of the thought of forced conversations, smile and say hello to someone. Eventually, you will realize that many people in the room feel the same way you do in these situations. It won’t work right away, but it will get easier with time. You may never like the idea of meeting new people, but you can learn not to hate it.
When it’s inappropriate
When it relates to your core skills or abilities. You cannot pretend to be competent if you are not. The sad truth is that simply wanting to be better at something doesn’t matter: you either know how to do it or you don’t. Here the pretense turns to the dark side of lies.
You can’t pretend to be fluent in a foreign language if you can barely connect 2 words. You can’t tell an investor that you have exceptional financial acumen if you can barely work in Excel. You can’t tell a potential customer that your product will solve their problem if they don’t. Don’t lie about your capabilities or the capabilities of your company/product, because if you do and get declassified, you will simply lose credibility.
If you have a deep desire to change or improve something about yourself, and you imitate the behavior you dream of, eventually the force of habit will kick in. Just have complete faith in yourself, in your ability to change, and why you are doing it. As the British writer Sophie Kinsella said, “If I act like it’s a perfectly normal situation, then it probably will be.”
How to actually succeed
Talent x Effort = Skill
Skill x Effort = Achievement
Instead of trying to look smarter than you are, read more. Read books about the skill you want to master, read articles, watch lectures and instructional videos, observe people who have the skill, find mentors to help you improve your skills in that area. Don’t be fake. Invest time and energy to become a true expert in your chosen topic.
Instead of trying to look more important during meetings, earn respect. Come to meetings on time or early. Avoid holding meetings without a defined agenda and goals. Don’t interrupt others and don’t talk too much. Make sure every voice is heard by encouraging round table exchanges. Don’t be fake. Become someone others want to invite to meetings or spearhead projects because of your communication skills.
Instead of appearing smarter than everyone else, be honest. Don’t pretend you know all the answers. No one knows. And that’s okay. When someone asks you a question and you don’t know the answer, tell the truth: “I don’t know the answer to your question, but I will do my best to find out and answer you.” Don’t be fake. Be honest about your weaknesses.
Instead of assuming a pose of power or trying to take up more space in meetings, be yourself. Are you really going to stand like Superman or Wonder Woman during your presentation? Are you really comfortable arranging your things and taking up the space of two people? Don’t be fake. Stop trying to be someone you’re not and learn to be comfortable with the wonderful person you already are.
Instead of wasting your time trying to become someone you’re not, invest in developing the skills and experience you need to be successful in whatever career path you choose. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses, create a career development plan, find mentors, and ask your manager for support.
Learn how to be the best person you can be and how to be comfortable with all of your unique qualities. Because life is too short to spend even a minute “faking it until it is.”