I handed someone my business card a week ago. Later that night I was updating the MG Facebook page and decided to follow a link back to a post and review something I had previously written. What my browser took me to was nothing short of a tragedy. This was no ordinary 404 error (Page Not Found) this was something WAY worse.

Something like, “corrupted website” appeared atop the screen and the rest was just white. I was lying in bed reading this, feeling compelled to get up and try to resolve the issue. I was worried the guy I just gave my card would try to view the site, only to find that there was NO site. I rationalized that not that many people actually read this blog and it could easily wait till morning. I’m not making money here guys.

In an attempt to regain functionality, I input my login credentials to Word Press and found I couldn’t get into the admin side of things either. It was totally broken, the mental grenade had detonated. I checked my email to see if I had a notification of the site going down; there it was, I just failed to see it 18 hours prior when it arrived.

A subsequent email informed me of an update failure which I thought may have caused the problem. The following morning I contacted tech support of the web hosting service. The young representative fielded my call and began to utilize the flow chart to solve the site issue. As per industry standard, I was put on hold. Whatever she did allowed MG to be seen on the web again but I couldn’t log-in to administrate or post anything.

She apologized and informed me that the case would be referred to a higher echelon of support. In 24 hours I got an email from the hosting service support staff informing me that a critical error, which could not be repaired, had occurred and the site would have to be rolled back to a restore point. I was given several choices of dates and the proper format to submit my request.

I contacted a friend much more knowledgeable than I and ask his opinion. After thinking for a day or two, I submitted the email for roll back. The next morning I got a call from upper level support. The professional that addressed me over the phone was very well versed in the programming language (15+ years) and had repaired the core file (like, gone through the code and fixed it rather than taking the easy way out and rolling it back). He explained what he did, why he did it, and answered several other questions I had which didn’t even pertain to the trouble ticket.

It’s refreshing when you meet a professional. There’s a marked difference between someone who knows and someone who acts like they know. In this current age of access to mass accumulated knowledge, I could easily be accused of waxing eloquent about things I only have surface knowledge of. Running a website is not my strong suit.

Which is better?

1. Fake it till you make it.

You’re a leader, people look to you for answers. Isn’t it better to lead with confidence, fudge your way through and then make up for it on the back end? After all, America was built on hustle. If you’ve built a business you probably had to project things in a better light than they were. All’s well that ends well? Do the ends justify the means? Does telling myself that I am happy and successful make me so?

2. Humble yourself and Lead by Example.

This is easier said than done. In a perfect world, anyone who speaks with authority would actually know what they were talking about. Me personally, I would rather serve under a leader who was willing to say they didn’t know the answer but they would seek out the best resource so that the organization could benefit as a whole (rather than them hiding a deficiency and trying to benefit their ego).

Discussion

I’m guilty of the first and working on the second. I hear you saying, “There’s a time and a place for both.” Maybe you’re right but I believe the outcome will always be better if you lead with humility and strive for the greater good.

–Forbes.com “Fake it till you Make it”

–Forbes.com “Why You Should Stop Trying To ‘Fake It Till You Make It'”
“If you’re busy trying to fake something, what you’re not doing is expending the effort to learn that skill. Which means what you’re really doing is holding yourself back…”

–Psychologytoday.com “When to Fake It Till You Make It (and When You Shouldn’t)”

This next article I found interesting for many reasons. I somewhat disagree with the author’s research and opinions. If you look at leadership and learn from it- that’s not faking it till you make it. We study, implement, and become what we aspire to (it’s called learning)- this process is always happening. So are we always faking? Words are so subjective, sigh. But it does raise an interesting question – is it better to be authentic or sincere?
“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
–inc.com “Why ‘Fake It Till You Make It’ Is So Effective, According to Science”
OR
–inc.com “Why ‘Fake It Till You Make It’ Is Bad Advice”

For a completely different perspective (Which I like):
–time.com “Why ‘Fake It Till You Make It’ Is Terrible Advice”

Resolution

When the trouble ticket was closed out, I received a follow up email with a survey. I not only rated this professional as highly as I could but left this comment in the provided field:
“An employee as skilled as this one should be retained as long as possible and given a raise.”
Are you taking the time to appreciate authentic and skilled people in your life?

Think critically.

Where are you now and where do you want to be?
What steps are required for you to get there?

Often we know what we want or where we want to be but aren’t sure how to get there. Find a mentor who is where you want to be and learn from them. Then you can make it without faking it.

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