Are You Too Intimidating?

I worked at an Outback Steakhouse in college. I loved that job—mainly because I made great money, I LOVED the food (loved it too much actually... sometime I'll send you a photo of the me when I ate a Bloomin' Onion every night), and perhaps most importantly, I really enjoyed my boss.

Not at first—he was kind of an acquired taste. He was 26, a former college athlete, part Costa Rican, and owned an Outback. A kid himself, it wasn't always easy bossing around a bunch of, well, kids. People would complain that he was a hot head, that he was too aggressive, arrogant, or intimidating. I knew one girl who got a stomach ache every time she pulled up to work because she was afraid of screwing up... (ok, that girl was me).

The truth is, he was great at the business part of his job—not so much the people part. The problem: business IS people.If you are strong leader who is sometimes pegged as too harsh or arrogant or intimidating—your bottom line could be suffering as a result. Fortunately, there is an easy fix. Storytelling. This video will show you how.

(Oh, and my boss, he eventually left the Outback Steakhouse and started several successful companies of his own and was one of the earliest supporters of my storytelling endeavors. In fact, he's probably reading this... Hi Adolfo! Remember that tiger figurine I gave you to remind you not to roar at everyone? :) ).