When I moved to California for law school, I had no idea my New York accent sounded strong to others. My nasal pronunciations reminded others of the Jersey Shore, but to me, I sounded like everyone I knew. It took me by surprise, therefore, when classmates and professors underestimated me. They laughed or didn’t take me seriously when I spoke. Later, when I relearned to tawk (err, speak) and began practicing law, I again encountered strangers – this time adversaries – who assumed I wasn’t a formidable opponent. Though the accent had vanished, they judged me for my small size, young looks and a vocal tonality better suited for silent film than the courtroom. Even a dog trainer couldn’t get me to sound more authoritative. So I stuck with my pitch, as high and squeaky as it may be.
Over time, I’ve learned to enjoy people’s underestimation of me; it became one of my greatest assets as a litigator and, later, a strength in business dealings. It turns out that when people underestimate you they prepare differently – and far less effectively – than they do if they deem you a worthy adversary. By assuming they will win, they set themselves up for defeat. By assuming I was weaker or less intelligent, they assumed they had the upper hand and often let down their guard. I eventually discovered that negotiating with someone who had a false sense of power allowed me to either “blitz” attack, or take advantage of their need to protect their ego.
Last week I was reminded of the power of being underestimated when I caught an interview on NBC’s “Today” show with Peggy Grande, who was promoting her new memoir, “The President Will See You Now.” In the book, she recounts her time as personal assistant to Ronald Reagan for a decade following his presidency. Admittedly, I didn’t know much about Reagan’s presidency when growing up. I was pre-political, not from California and only mildly familiar with buzz words like “Reaganomics” and Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” platform.
I therefore only learned last week that Reagan was known as an “amiable dunce” – an apparently common misconception of him that Grande said Reagan used to his advantage. Grande explained that Reagan enjoyed using that misconception of him to bolster his position in any kind of debate. He loved how his antagonists’ underestimation of him put him in the position to outsmart them.
Of course, being underestimated is not always ideal, especially for someone in a new role who hasn’t yet figured out how their employer’s internal politics will affect their image (real or perceived). But the first time you defeat an unprepared foe, you’ll discover their mistake can be your asset. If someone wants to react to you based on their own misperception, embrace their foolishness and keep being yourself; it’s much easier than being what others might expect you to be. While you’re at it, leverage people’s mistake for your own benefit. The more you do so, the more tricks you’ll shove up your sleeve for throwing opponents off their guard and – eventually – increasing your own standing.
