How do you talk about your wins without sounding like you're bragging?
Lead with what you learned, not what you accomplished. Share what worked and what surprised you, and it stops sounding like bragging.
What I say in the video
You've had a big success and you've been asked to share it with a room full of people, but you're worried it'll come off as bragging.
Here's the shift. Stop telling people what you accomplished and start telling them what you learned.
"Here's what worked."
"Here's what surprised us."
"Here's what you can use."
When they leave thinking, "I can use that," you've won the room.
What I didn’t say in the video
The discomfort around sharing wins usually comes from the sense that talking about success is about you. Once you shift to what you learned, it becomes about the audience.
The shift also makes the story more interesting. A result on its own is just your news. Say your team cut onboarding time in half. That’s impressive, but nobody else can do much with it. Now add what you learned: “We almost gave up in week two, until we stopped training everyone at once.” That’s something another manager could try with their own team on Monday. People remember the win because it handed them an idea they can use.
Try it today
Take a recent win and write down one thing you learned from it that someone else could use. Lead with that the next time you share it.
Bill Smartt is a New York executive presence and public speaking coach and the founder of Smartt Talk. He works with leaders in financial services, tech, advertising and startups.
