We’re going to fast-forward a bit through the Medici Popes (they had a LOT of issues, not the least of which was that Martin Luther took issue with them selling indulgences). In fact, we’re going to jump all the way to the middle of the 1500s (or there-abouts). The Medicis had pretty much been kicked out of Florence. After the run of Medici Popes and their attacks on the people of Tuscany, nobody was really a great Medici fan. In fact, the last legitimate Florentine Medici heir, Alessandro, was killed. Oddly enough, though, the Florentines thought it would be good to bring in another Medici to control the city – a Medici they could easily control. Good name, bad brain. Kind of like the plot of Zoolander.
Nobody really thought that the new Duke, Cosimo de’ Medici, would amount to much. They figured he would be a figurehead. Boy did they get that wrong. Whether it was innate skill, a brush of luck, the power of paranoia, or a combination of all of the above, Cosimo proved to be a pretty darned adept leader. Named Head of the Florentine State in 1537, by 1569 Cosimo had helped Charles V with his wars, had defeated his own enemies, and had also brought Sienna to its knees. He was named Grand Duke of Tuscany and his fame and triumphs ensured that the Medicis would stay in power all the way until 1737. Not too shabby, huh?
Who, me?
In the online world, one of the greatest things that can happen is for you to be considered an underdog. I truly believe that. Now, make no mistake. Just like Cosimo, you have to be willing to put a lot of work in. A lot of work. But until you get named Grand Duke of Social Media, being an online underdog can enable you to do a lot of things. This is something I know a bit about. See, while I’ve been going about my business, doing my own thing, a few great things have happened.
1. I’ve been able to hone my blogging style, experiment a lot, see what works and what doesn’t, and not have it all happen in the spotlight
2. I’ve been able to develop a lot of great connections/friendships with people. This would have been a lot harder if I had been greeted like LeBron James, flooded by the masses
3. I’ve been able to formulate my own opinions without having to worry about whether these evolutions in my brains will affect whatever part of my social media world I might be worried about
While I am certainly no Grand Duke, I know that I have gotten a chance to improve a lot over the last two years because I was just able to focus on my work. No one placed any expectations on me. There was no pressure but what I put on myself. It’s a pretty good path to take, or at least it has been for me.
Take the challenge
One other lesson can be garnered from Duke Cosimo. He could have gotten really bummed out that he was brought in to be, essentially, a puppet. I mean, that would bum anybody out, right? But he didn’t go into Florence a defeated man. He went into Florence a driven man. If someone treats you like you’re an underdog, accept the challenge. Don’t view it as a put-down, view it as a shot of adrenaline. Prove that you’re anything but an underdog. Prove them wrong. It’s a great motivator! If you’re into that sort of thing.
Again, all of this takes a lot of hard work. In say, 1545, Cosimo probably did not imagine that he would become Grand Duke of Tuscany. He still had a whopping 14 years to go. But he got there. Oh, also, he killed a few relatives, which I recommend you stray away from. Anyway, if you put in the time, if you work really hard, and if you stay on your own path, being called an underdog can be an invitation to excel, not a downer.
Don’t you think?
Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/78998728@N07/7246913292/ via Creative Commons
Hey Margie, I am totally with you. I too just suit up and get busy and am not too concerned with the broader online popularity jousting that goes on in a rather desperate fashion. Sometimes I worry that I am not playing the game and that I should try harder to be a contender. But my business and reputation has grown steadily over the past three yearsas has my bottom line.
I credit that to having my website that converts visitors into clients, doing a newsletter each and every Wednesday, being active on Twitter, organizing WordPress meetups and WordCamp, and doing great work for my clients.
I could not do all if those things if I was tweeting all day long. I know that just because someone is a big dog on Twiiter it does not necessarily translate that they are making a great living. Since my business is New Tricks, I love helping underdogs get an effectivec online presence and teach people to grow their businesses and their bottom lines to be big dogs::-)
You are a big dog in my book!
@newtricks Wow, Judi – a new identity, eh? Awesome!
Success is relative all the way around. A person may want to get a really big following on Twitter while their friend might want to just focus on growing an offline basis. In either case, being told that “you’ll never make it” can either be a gut-wrenching bummer or a huge opportunity. Not everyone wants to become the Duke of Tuscany, but few people want to be called a dumb puppet. Somewhere in between is a happy place to be 🙂
Thanks for coming by – I appreciate your kind words!
@newtricks I wonder why the Livefyre came up as newtricks. I logged in as my twitter handle @judiknight. Hmmm. Mystery.
Of course, I agree with you, Margie. Underdogs, enigmas and “also-rans” can get a lot done without everyone scrutinizing their every move. They can also learn a great deal along the way, and the lessons aren’t so painful away from the glare of the spotlight.
But, I think as you have pointed out in the last paragraph, it is not only a matter of what others think about us, our work or our abilities that matter, but what we ourselves think. If Cosimo had bought into what everyone else was saying about him, he would have accomplished nothing; except maybe kill a few relatives for no real reason. He obviously had to believe that he was greater than his bad press to get to the top.
The bottom line is that you must believe in yourself and what you do before anyone else will buy into it.
And yes, as newtricks said in their comment, you’re a pretty big dog in my book. 🙂
Martina
@Martina McGowan And you’re a big dog in mine 🙂
Yes, ultimately it’s like that picture I love of the little kitten who looks in the mirror and sees a giant lion. It’s all about how you see yourself. It’s easy to have that mirror image change based on one person’s rotten words, but I would argue that a poopy person can actually make you more motivated – more excited to show how much you can shine.
You are right. Often being told that we cannot do a thing or are not capable of accomplishing seem to push all the right buttins to make us belive all the more that we can. Yes, a poopy person can bring you down temporarily, but only if you decide to stay there and wallow in it with them. If you think at least as much of yourself (esteem-wise) as you do of the person that’s criticizing you, you will push on through…and never look back.
Methinks you are correct; if you set your expectations low enough, you will never be disappointed………:).
I’ll say it; right now, social is a hobby for me. It has provided a platform for me to do all the stuff you mentioned with very little risk. Where it might take me, I don’t know but I am still enjoying the journey.
@bdorman264 That’s certainly another way to look at it, but I think it’s about seeing the best in yourself even if it seems you’re the ONLY one who sees it. That can be tricky – it’s easier to believe other people. But you can really get the last laugh if you hang in there.
A thousand years ago I was on my high school swim team. Whenever we had a swim meet the fastest swimmers would be placed in the center lanes where they could go head to head.
I always liked being in one of the outside lanes because it was harder for the speedier guys to see me and if I swam my race properly I had a good shot at being the dark horse who came out of nowhere.
Social media provides similar opportunities. You are quite right that there are significant advantages to not being placed on a pedestal immediately. The chance to find your voice and figure who you are and want to be is quite beneficial.
Or we can go geek and talk about how it was the little guy who had the biggest responsibility in the Lord of the Rings. Boromir couldn’t deal, Elrond and Galadriel were afraid of what that power would do to them as were Aragorn and Gandalf.
Yep, time to figure it out is something worth having.