Be Aggressive. B-E-Aggressive. But Subtle

Yesterday I had the rare pleasure of having an in-person  conversation with my grandmother and an interesting topic came up. She essentially told me how proud she was of all the things I have accomplished so far and specifically "amazed that I (an extremely shy child) was able to flourish in the industry I'm in and capitilize on it as much as I have." (That quote is paraphrased as my grandmother speaks Russian and most of you do not...I barely can either.)

So why does that sentiment strike a chord with me? Because there is common misconception that to be in a sales or service industry you need to be a shark. Basically that you need to be aggressive and pushy to get things to go your way. While in some specific jobs that is, and always will be an advantage, it isn't a universally required attribute.

Being aggressive and having initiative is absolutely a driving factor in many people's road to sucess, but the vehicle to get to their destinations doesn't need to be a Ferrari, make it an BMW M5.

Quick Automotive Lesson to those who aren't gearheads and don't understand the above anology:

Ferrari: It's bright, shiny, and red and you'll hear it coming long before you see it. A Ferrari is the pinnacle of the aggressive shark-like person who gets to their destination fast and aggressively. When you pull up next to it, you know how the upcoming exchange is going to take place.

BMW M5: Although people who are very entrenched in the world of cars will be able to easily spot an M5 from the rest of its "less powerfull" BMW brethren, the vast majority of people will not. To people like my grandma, the M5 is just another bulky lumbering luxury vehicle. So why does this vehicle best represent people like myself and the type of behavior I'm trying to describe in this analogy? Because in reality, the M5 is on par with a Corvette. For me, the M5 is the definition of subtle aggressiveness because it will also get you know where you need to go with a very powerful drive, but most people won't expect it when you're at the starting line.

To me, having those around you assume you're the subdued and gentle person is a major advantage. People inherently will trust you more. They will listen to your ideas without putting up their "car salesmen" armor. And most importantly, this behavior creates the best route to a win-win outcome for all parties. Does this imply you should be a "wolf in sheep's clothing?" Some people may take it that way, but that's not what I want to encourage. I want to encourage people to use their intelligence and passion rather than brute force.