Assertiveness

About thirty years ago assertiveness became somewhat of a buzz-word in the self-help business. There were lots of books on the subject and a long line of people flocked to various gurus. Assertiveness training classes were given for industrial sales people and just about every motivational speaker was on that bandwagon. Today, you hardly hear the word. I wonder why? Assertiveness, in a nutshell, can be defined as having confidence and being self-assured. An assertive person is someone who is not afraid to speak openly and pipe-up when needed. Assertiveness is a requisite quality in successful sales people and entrepreneurs. Although in the case of the latter, many non-assertive people have tried, those who are timid typically don’t last long in a competitive world. In a school system that emphasizes feel-good learning, where grade-cards are thought to be bad because they make little Johnny feel as though he is a failure, kids are often unprepared to enter a work-force where competition is the rule of the day. They are taught to read and write– at least that is the belief of most people, but they are given false-confidence. Once they get a real job, they discover that they lack many essential skills and traits necessary for success. Confidence is built by overcoming adversity. Each challenge you face is an opportunity to grow. With that perspective, you become stronger and better equipped to manage any situation.