Since Donald Rumsfeld resigned (or was he fired?), I keep thinking about the significance of having a personality that rubs people like sandpaper across a baby's bottom....


This is significant in life and in work, I believe.
For a moment, let us forget Rumsfeld's handling of Iraq or his restructuring on military capabilities, and just deal with the person.
I think most could agree that Rumsfeld exhibits the following traits:
- Intelligent
- Knowledgeable
- Confident
- Communicative
- Committed
- Loyal
- Experienced
- Patriotic
- Tough
- Brave
- and Darn Annoying
Except for the last item, he exhibits all the traits of a great leader, or a good dad, or loyal friend, or smart business person or.... But he has the personality of a mad pit bull who would rather bite off your head than let you pet him.
We all know people like that -- in our neighborhoods, at our jobs, maybe even in our families. And for the most part, we don't want to spend time with or near them. And we find it difficult to trust them.
My point is a simple one and I've made it here before: It is about the who, not the what.
We can be the smartest consultant, the greatest inventor, the wisest woman on earth; but if people don't like us, if they would rather eat fried worms than have a sandwich with us, what chance do we have of influencing them? Of getting them to listen or to trust us or to hire us or to buy our products and services?
In an earlier post, I asked how will we be remembered. Today, I ask how do people think of us now? Do they want to work with us? Do they trust us? Do they find us human or more closely related to the white shark?
And how do customers think of brands? Do they think of them as having human traits or as bricks and mortar? And does any of this matter?