I have not had a television for nearly nine years now, and have no plans to rectify the situation. Even so, it has been almost impossible to escape the online fuss over the latest series of ‘The Apprentice’. I watched a couple of trailers to get ‘the skinny’ as it were. I promptly needed a sit down and a brew!
I feel I need to get this out of my head, oh lovely readers, but did that guy really say he wanted to ‘throw a thought into the thought pond’? Yup, thought so! My first impressions of the entrepreneurial hopefuls were not positive ones, I will be honest. They tried so hard to be noticed and ingratiate themselves I think Lord Sugar was in desperate need of a colonic afterwards. I am sure he’s heard it all and still not impressed! I was also surprised how quickly they would sell each other out. On what planet are these admirable business traits? Overall I saw two dimensional characters with poor teamwork, no leadership skills and nauseating fake modesty. But the most shocking element was the fact that the contestants all hungered for power and the trappings of being a successful entrepreneur. Not one wanted to develop a passion they had, or solve the problems of others, they just wanted to be rich entrepreneurs for the power and the glory. Oh and one of them wanted ‘women’, like women are a commodity and not the other half of the human species! Not one seemed to exhibit traits that would lead them into sustainable business ventures for the future.
I mulled it over. Are these people really what the business world requires? It is the prevailing impression that to make it in business you have to be extroverted and gregarious, a predator going in for the kill. What if you are none of those things, and you are actually shy or introverted? Does that really mean you couldn’t hack it as a business person? I say, not at all! When I think of entrepreneurs I think of Branson, Gates and Zuckerberg. Colourful people with incredible minds, but with shy and introverted traits without doubt! Believe it or not I am a pretty shy person with introverted tendencies. Yet here I am working from home and blogging. I would hate to think there could be people out there with innovative ideas or a unique skill hiding their talents because they are not considered forceful or dynamic.
Many say that shy people have low self-esteem, but just because we are quiet as a person does not mean we are not confident in the skills we possess. Neither are we poor at making courageous decisions just because we prefer to prepare the groundwork and take calculated risks instead. We form close-knit business communities and don’t sweat over the amount of followers and devotees we have, and have coping strategies for the stress that life throws our way. The Quiet Revolution indeed!
A shy person can successfully run a business, as can an introvert. In a world full of noise and jostling egos, shy people find other ways to showcase their skills. Social Media has allowed we, the quiet people, a way to present ourselves in many different ways, allowing a person to promote their skills confidently, with colour and energy, while giving them the time and space to meticulously plan the presentation. Shy people can now gain genuine confidence by permitting their skills and talents to do the talking for them in an arena where the cacophony can drown out the loudest of extroverts. Don’t let lack of confidence hold you back, there are too many people willing to help and support the softly spoken entrepreneurs!
I feel I need to get this out of my head, oh lovely readers, but did that guy really say he wanted to ‘throw a thought into the thought pond’? Yup, thought so! My first impressions of the entrepreneurial hopefuls were not positive ones, I will be honest. They tried so hard to be noticed and ingratiate themselves I think Lord Sugar was in desperate need of a colonic afterwards. I am sure he’s heard it all and still not impressed! I was also surprised how quickly they would sell each other out. On what planet are these admirable business traits? Overall I saw two dimensional characters with poor teamwork, no leadership skills and nauseating fake modesty. But the most shocking element was the fact that the contestants all hungered for power and the trappings of being a successful entrepreneur. Not one wanted to develop a passion they had, or solve the problems of others, they just wanted to be rich entrepreneurs for the power and the glory. Oh and one of them wanted ‘women’, like women are a commodity and not the other half of the human species! Not one seemed to exhibit traits that would lead them into sustainable business ventures for the future.
I mulled it over. Are these people really what the business world requires? It is the prevailing impression that to make it in business you have to be extroverted and gregarious, a predator going in for the kill. What if you are none of those things, and you are actually shy or introverted? Does that really mean you couldn’t hack it as a business person? I say, not at all! When I think of entrepreneurs I think of Branson, Gates and Zuckerberg. Colourful people with incredible minds, but with shy and introverted traits without doubt! Believe it or not I am a pretty shy person with introverted tendencies. Yet here I am working from home and blogging. I would hate to think there could be people out there with innovative ideas or a unique skill hiding their talents because they are not considered forceful or dynamic.
Many say that shy people have low self-esteem, but just because we are quiet as a person does not mean we are not confident in the skills we possess. Neither are we poor at making courageous decisions just because we prefer to prepare the groundwork and take calculated risks instead. We form close-knit business communities and don’t sweat over the amount of followers and devotees we have, and have coping strategies for the stress that life throws our way. The Quiet Revolution indeed!
A shy person can successfully run a business, as can an introvert. In a world full of noise and jostling egos, shy people find other ways to showcase their skills. Social Media has allowed we, the quiet people, a way to present ourselves in many different ways, allowing a person to promote their skills confidently, with colour and energy, while giving them the time and space to meticulously plan the presentation. Shy people can now gain genuine confidence by permitting their skills and talents to do the talking for them in an arena where the cacophony can drown out the loudest of extroverts. Don’t let lack of confidence hold you back, there are too many people willing to help and support the softly spoken entrepreneurs!