In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy encounters a character known as the Cowardly Lion. Though he is supposed to be a ferocious creature that dominates all other beasts, the Cowardly Lion doesn’t seem to have any real courage. His attempts to scare Dorothy and her friends fail when she slaps him on the nose, leaving him crying uncontrollably. He confesses his cowardice and feels that he was born without any courage. Dorothy invites him to join them on their journey to see the Wizard who has the power to confer some courage upon the Cowardly Lion. After drinking a green liquid provided by the Wizard, the Cowardly Lion no longer feels afraid. He also receives a medal with the word COURAGE written across it.

But did the green liquid give magical courage to the lion? The truth is that the Wizard’s gift was only a subconscious trigger that activated the courage already within the Cowardly Lion. It was his insecurities about not being like other lions that made him lose his assertiveness and confidence. Throughout their journey in Oz, the Cowardly Lion fought off beasts and saved his friends’ lives many times. He had consistently shown his bravery despite being fearful, yet he was unaware of his innate courage. The Wizard’s gift only helped him reframe his mindset to realize that courage is not the absence of fear. It is the confidence to step up in the face of adversity.

But what does this mean for you?

At every moment, you are presented with opportunities to express and assert yourself in your social interactions with others. Whether it’s in an organization or your personal life, it’s important to communicate confidently and speak clearly. Yet, being assertive and confident while communicating doesn’t come easy for most people. Public speaking anxiety, also known as glossophobia, affects as much as 75% of the population. The research shows that more people are afraid of public speaking than they are of death! This is a startling statistic, and it goes to show just how deep-seated this fear is.

Maybe you are having trouble at work because you lack enough confidence to speak up for yourself. The office environment can be ultra-competitive, and it is often the case that those who can speak confidently and make an impact on others, especially their superiors, get more chances for upward mobility. If you lack the assertiveness necessary to be seen or heard, you may get passed up on promotions and end up feeling invisible to your superiors. 

You could be one of those who has a problem saying “no” to other people. Your boss knows this so they always pick you to stay late and work on some reports or saddle you with errands that aren’t part of your job description. Maybe your colleagues ask you to cover for them or help them finish their work even as they leave the office early. Yet, you have never told them what you feel, and it’s affecting your personal life as well. You’re suffering in silence, despite knowing that being more assertive and confident can spare you the pain. 

Maybe you are shy and public speaking isn’t something that comes naturally to you. Yet, inside, you have this deep desire to learn how to express yourself more assertively in your relationships. It is said that effective communication is the bedrock of strong relationships. If you do not project confidence and personal power within your social circle, it is inevitable that other people will dominate you in the relationship.

If you are romantically involved with someone but never get the courage to tell them what you want, they will assume all their decisions are fine with you. They may be making decisions that affect you negatively, but since you can’t speak up, you always get the short end of the stick.

It is also possible that you struggle with speaking in front of a large or small audience. This may cost you many great opportunities to show others your capabilities. If you suffer from glossophobia, you are not alone. However, you want to overcome this fear, which is why you are reading this book. Being an effective communicator who confidently gets their message across will open up doors as more people become aware of who you are and what you can do. Someone in that group audience may connect you to a better career or a potential mate. You don’t want to be the person who misses out on an awesome opportunity just because they couldn’t speak effectively enough in front of people.

Conflicts are bound to arise whenever two or more individuals are unable to communicate well with each other. This can get worse when you don’t know how to put your emotions into words. Maybe you’re the opposite of the naturally shy type and tend to speak up for yourself whenever you feel like it. However, you do so in a way that aggravates or offends everyone around you. If someone says something you don’t like, you blow up and get emotional. As a result, you fail to speak your mind effectively and all the other person hears is a tirade of emotion that doesn’t make any sense. This may hinder you from resolving conflicts calmly and effectively. You may think that shouting others down or interrupting them is a sign of your superiority, but the truth is that you are simply destroying whatever social capital you may have in the long run.

This is where the Assertive Wizard comes in. This book is a straightforward guide that shows you how to behave, speak and act when communicating with others or expressing your thoughts and emotions. We often assume that our social skills are good enough to get us ahead in life, but the truth is that there is always room for improvement. This book will show you how to leverage the right communication skills to advance yourself in the workspace. You will also discover how to communicate with friends and family in a way that is wholesome and socially uplifting for everyone concerned.

You will learn the importance of assertiveness and why being self-confident matters. I will share with you some practical ways of boosting your confidence and assertiveness. You will also learn about emotional intelligence and the role it plays in your communication skills. Though more emphasis is usually placed on intellect, this book will help you understand why your emotional competence also matters. I will share tools and tips that can help you become a more impactful communicator in any setting so that you are prepared to speak effectively to any kind of audience.

You will also discover how to adopt the right attitude—of passion and enthusiasm—when communicating your message. You will learn how to tap into your inner motivation so that you can deeply connect to others and ultimately inspire them to do the same. I will teach you the art of negotiation and how to subtly influence others through words as well as body language. This is going to make a huge difference in your influence at the workplace. Finally, I’m going to demonstrate how you can speak with greater impact so that your message always resonates with your audience.

By the time you finish reading this book, you’ll know how to be more assertive and develop the kind of confident communication skills that build your social net worth and network.

But who am I, and why should you take seriously the ideas that I share with you in this book?

I am Marlene Gonzalez, the founder and president of LCG Group LLC. I am involved in leadership development and executive coaching. I’m also a certified executive coach and licensed practitioner for Insights Discovery North America. In my line of work, I partner with organizations to inspire and transform their employees so that they can overcome professional challenges and succeed.

I have held several executive positions in corporations all across the United States, Europe and Latin America. I also served as Senior Director of Global Training, Learning and Development for McDonald’s Corporation. Throughout my career, I have discovered that confident and assertive communication skills are necessary for transformational leadership. I understand the importance of assertiveness and confidence when communicating. This book is one way for me to share what I’ve learned coaching countless leaders so that you too can be successful and reach your personal and professional goals.

You have a lot to gain by being more assertive and self-confident. There’s no need to be afraid of speaking in public or even fearing confrontation. Just like the lion in The Wizard of Oz, you already have the courage within you. All you need now are some practical tools and inspiration to set you on your path. You don’t have to lose emotional control every time you express yourself. You can learn to be assertive without being aggressive. 

Let’s face it. At some point, you will find yourself in a situation where you need to communicate assertively and confidently to get what you want in life. Let me show you how you can prepare to handle such opportunities so that you can boldly grab them with both hands.

If you’ve ever wanted to boost your confidence, be more assertive and improve your communication skills, then this is the book for you. With its help, you do it!