A reframe of “fake it til you make it” can make all the difference.
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“Position yourself as a center of influence – the one who knows the movers and shakers. People will respond to that, and you’ll soon become what you project.” ~ Bob Burg
We’ve all been told to “fake it til you make it.” Even in my days of studying theater I found myself resisting the idea that I had to be fake, not only on stage, but in my life, in order to “make it.” It implied to me that who I really am is not good enough to make it, that I would have to be something other than who I really am in order to deserve success.
And then I met Bob Burg.
Bob is a master at turning our ideas of influence and success inside out and asking us to “shift our focus.” And when he and I talk about the Law of Authenticity—the Fourth Law of Stratospheric Success from The Go-Giver, which he co-wrote with John David Mann—he never suggests anyone should “fake” anything.
Instead he says the best way to become anything; successful, influential, kind, or even athletic, is to “act as if.”
If you were successful, how would you behave? How would you treat others? How would you treat yourself? What about influential?
You notice this quote isn’t about chasing people who are influential and trying to get their help. It’s about positioning yourself as one of them, being part of that community. As a member of the community of movers and shakers how would you behave? How is that different from the way you behave now?
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Photo: Flikr/MangakaMaiden Photography