Braggards not allowed. You will soon be forgotten.

Success stories are. Applying the morals of the stories are remembered.

Back story:

I used to attend a networking group at a particularly dim time in my entrepreneurial venture that made me feel inadequate.

I had a lot to learn, granted.

But the senior leader of the networking group positioned himself as the soapbox orator and regaled us with successes and new sales this week better than last.

He made me squirm. Others too.

I resigned from the group as it was toxic and not conducive to my learning. When he called to ask why I was leaving I was frank and told him. He was shocked.

“But it’s all true,” he claimed.

Then I retorted, “you need to tone the ego down and provide lessons to the junior members to emulate.”

He agreed and promised the next week’s meeting would be a turnaround. “Come back and see,” he implored me.

And I did. And he fell back into the old rut.

You’ve got to be kidding, I thought, and I left and never returned.

I see some LinkedIn profiles that self-celebrate wins and other successes. Fine, you’re entitled, but like the networking leader above, you can do better by becoming the professor and teach us rather than the puffed orator that spews hot air.

Reflect on the past years, what you learned, and tell us how you arrived at your perfecting craft.

Retell a couple of stories of tough situations you faced and overcame, becoming sparks of useful material to fire us up.

Don’t just throw it on the wall and watch us gape at your brilliance, because we won’t.

Help rather than heave.