It’s a fair question. When I speak, people laugh. When I appear, they wink at one another.
Is it my voice, my face, my eyes? What is it? I wish I knew, for it has always been so.
From years ago in my youth to just yesterday, presenting to two separate groups of leaders and heads of.
One group openly laughed in my face, stopping me in my tracks. The second cut me off mid-thought, silencing my presentation.
The latter eventually earned me an apology from an exec, who emailed later to say sorry.
But private sorries after in-room mockery don’t mean a lot to me. I know I am a joke. That’s why I occupy this lowly position.
Impactful from behind my keyboard. A silent doer. The quiet man who just gets on with it. Generous but unseen. Yes, I can be effective this way.
But to emerge and make myself heard? Impossible! For yes, I know, I am a joke to you.
Last modified: 7 February 2025
