Halo Grabber

Have you ever name-dropped, trying to impress the person you’re with—and had it backfire?

So there’s this guy I shared a table with, in a poli-sci class when we were in college. He’s gone on to become an extremely successful author-speaker-consultant-globally recognized public figure.

We got along fine but didn’t really get to know each other that well other than sharing the table, and we certainly did not stay in touch.

Fast forward a few years, and I was getting to know someone new—another alum from my school. Hoping to impress her with a little halo effect, I casually dropped his name.

Her response? Oh yeah, I know him. We had dinner last month. We’ve presented at conferences together.

Cue my sheepish grin.

Since then, I’ve adopted a new rule: whenever I mention a third person in conversation, I assume the person I’m speaking with already knows them—better than I do. Because sometimes, they actually do.

And that’s a great reminder for all of us. Before making any comment (especially a less-than-kind barb) about someone, consider the possibility that the listener has a direct connection.

The best way to impress isn’t by name-dropping—it’s by being authentically you.

What do you think?

See you tomorrow!

#Networking #Authenticity #PersonalBrand #LessonsLearned #StayHumble #BeYourself