The Top 1%: Habits, Attitudes & Strategies for Exceptional Success by Dan Strutzel

Author:Dan Strutzel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: G&D Media
Published: 2018-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

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The Power of Who You Are

HOW THE TOP 1% PRACTICE THE SKILL OF ASSERTIVENESS

Several years ago, after completing my usual Saturday afternoon rituals of lawn mowing, edging, and fertilizing—what some people call “Every Man’s Paradise”—I sat down to watch the late Tim Russert’s talk show on CNBC. Tim died way too young, and I miss his presence in the world of news reporting. I always respected Tim as one of the fairest, yet toughest, journalists on television. And I considered him to be a welcome relief from the daily fare of shouting bullies who seem to dominate television and radio today.

So on this day I was no doubt surprised when he announced that one of his guests was one of television’s most famous shouting bullies, who shall remain nameless, invited ’to debate an economist from the opposite side of the political spectrum. Over the past several years, in profiles about our famous, nameless friend, one of the most common adjectives used to describe this gentleman was “assertive.” And, five minutes into the interview, this man wasted no time in living up (or down) to his reputation. I watched in disbelief as he debated the economist by shouting him down, waving fingers in his face, calling him names, and giving him looks of contempt, as an adult might give an errant child.

It was so embarrassing that even Tim Russert looked shocked, and it was one of the few times I witnessed Tim losing control of his show and almost taking sides with the other party, if for no other reason, out of sympathy. What struck me as I watched this charade, before turning off the TV in disgust, was how confused we have become over the difference between genuine assertiveness, of which Tim Russert is a great model, and aggressive, bully-like tactics modeled by our nameless friend.

Unfortunately, the media and our culture overall have moved too far in the direction of the bully model—using shouting, intimidation, ad hominem attacks, and clever debating tricks—as opposed to using genuine civil discourse, or true assertiveness.

Despite this considerable confusion over what true assertiveness is, there is no doubt that learning how to exercise this skill is essential to one’s success. In fact, it could be said that learning the skill of assertiveness is the key to showcasing every other skill or talent you have. A high IQ, an exceptional talent or ability, or a great sense of judgment will remain your best-kept secrets if you do not develop the capacity to assert them.

Think of it like the rays of the sun. The sun is always there, yet on a severely cloudy day, its rays are hidden from view, as if they’ve disappeared. The sun is still releasing all of its heating potential and lighting the sky; it’s just hidden from view. Then, all of a sudden, a few of the clouds start to break, and we witness the beautiful sight of the sun’s rays bursting through like laser beams and illuminating the countryside. Assertiveness skills

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