Upon the conclusion of a very pivotal business meeting between a consultant and one of the co-authors’ corporate partnership group, the age old question was asked,

“What did you think of that guy?”

With a prompt response, he stated, “He seems pretty cocksure to me.”

A look of utter bewilderment fell on the faces of those remaining in the room. One partner, with a questioning and confused tone, spoke up immediately and stuttered, “Cocksure?” Then, apparently thinking it was a fictional term, followed up by asking, “Is that even a word?”

A brief Google session revealed that the word indicates “perfect assurance, sometimes on inadequate grounds; marked by overconfidence or presumptuousness," and that the word is simply an extension of the abbreviated term we use today, cocky.

Overwhelmed with laughter and enthusiasm, not only did the group realize that it was an actual word, but that cocksure captured, more precisely than any other word possibly could, the true essence of that guy. Here was a single word that could summarize that guy’s actions and behavior. Cocksure was the perfect fit, almost as good a fit as the stiffly starched dress shirt and designer suit that guy was sporting that afternoon.

That interaction, along with many others along the way, sparked the idea to create a book revolving around the concept of attaching a key word to “that guy.”

Oh, one key part must be included in this story. The business partners failed to act on this acute assessment of the cocksure individual. That guy ended up taking them for a magnificent ride of chaos and turmoil. So, proper identification is only the beginning. It’s the actions we take to deal with such people in the business world that will determine how that guy impacts our everyday professional careers and personal lives.