????或許是因為我們自身感到力不從心，為弱勢者鼓與呼似乎成了件自然而然的事情，特別是在困難時期。艾米?肖瓦爾特說，甚至連流行文化也深受這種傾向的影響。“有多少部電影是以強大——通常也是邪惡——的一方獲勝而告終的？”她問道。“并不是很多。部分原因是人們認為弱勢者往往更高尚、更機智，更有資格收獲成功。”

????然而，并非所有的弱者都生而平等。“僅僅處于明顯的劣勢這一點并不能保證人們一定希望看到你成功，”她說。肖瓦爾特是游說機構肖瓦爾特集團（Showalter Group）的總裁。該公司已經為包括西南航空（Southwest Airlines）和輝瑞制藥（Pfizer）在內的150多家公司策劃組織過基層政治活動。

????肖瓦爾特在撰寫新著《弱者的優勢：小人物有大能量》（The Underdog Edge: How Ordinary People Change the Minds of the Powerful…and Live to Tell About It）期間，分析了大量的學術研究成果和幾十個真實的例證，理清了某些弱者何以能產生她所稱的“極大影響”的原因所在。果斷，對抗逆境的生動故事，愿意比競爭對手付出更多努力的決心，都有助于弱勢者產生這種影響力。特立獨行，頑強地堅持做被公眾視為正確的事情，也會產生這種效果。

????肖瓦爾特指出，像對抗巨人歌利亞的大衛那樣獲得“街頭威望”并不一定非得具備弱小的外形，西南航空公司就是一個例子。雖然西南航空現在已經貴為美國最大的航空公司，但該公司“一直以弱勢者自居，最近的‘行李免托運費（Bags Fly Free）’計劃即是一例，”肖瓦爾特寫道。“西南航空允許顧客免費攜帶兩件行李，而其他航空公司至少要向每件行李收取20美元的運費。”西南航空公司CEO加里?凱利表示，該公司的年收入之所以能增長大約1億美元，這項以弱勢者的姿態推出的措施可謂居功至偉。

????福特汽車公司（Ford Motor Co. ）的弱勢者思維也獲得了肖瓦爾特很高的評價。“盡管福特是一家規模龐大的公司，但它選擇了一條更為崎嶇的發展路徑，而且拒不接受政府的救助資金，進而贏得了人們的稱贊，”她說。“公眾支持拒絕走捷徑，純粹依靠意志力獲得成功的企業，尤其是經濟陷于衰退的時候。這種事的確鼓舞人心。”

????在肖瓦爾特看來，以下這些弱勢者在2011年的表現相當突出：

????羅德島州財政專員吉娜?雷蒙多。肖瓦爾特說，這位民主黨新秀“從來不理‘別招惹強大的州政府公務員工會’那一套。”雷蒙多對羅德島州幾近破產的公務員養老金體系進行了改革。“這種不偏不倚的行事方式讓處于劣勢的雷蒙多贏得了公眾的贊賞。”

????丹佛野馬隊（Denver Broncos）的四分衛蒂姆?蒂博。肖瓦爾特說：“弱勢者唯有使用非常規的戰術，方能取勝，而蒂博正是出奇制勝的完美典范。”將丹佛野馬隊的獲勝紀錄從4-1提升至7-1的蒂姆?蒂博同時也是“一位具有凝聚力的團隊領袖。”

????Perhaps because we feel powerless ourselves, rooting for the underdog, especially in tough times, seems to come naturally. The tendency is even ingrained in popular culture, says Amy Showalter. "In how many movies does the big, powerful -- and usually evil -- guy win?" she asks. "Not many. That's partly because the underdog is perceived as more moral, more resourceful, and more deserving of success."

????Still, not all underdogs are created equal. "Just being at an obvious disadvantage won't guarantee that people will want to see you win," she notes. Showalter is president of the Showalter Group, a lobbying firm that has organized grassroots political efforts for more than 150 companies, including Southwest Airlines (LUV) and Pfizer (PFE).

????For her new book, The Underdog Edge: How Ordinary People Change the Minds of the Powerful…and Live to Tell About It, she analyzed heaps of academic research and dozens of real-life examples to figure out what gives some underdogs what Showalter calls "extreme influence." Determination, a vivid story of struggling against adversity, and the willingness to try harder than your competition all help. So does standing out from the crowd by stubbornly insisting on doing what the public perceives as right.

????You don't have to be small to get "street cred" as a David against the Goliaths, Showalter says. Consider, for instance, Southwest Airlines. It's now the largest domestic U.S. carrier, but the company "has always played by the underdog creed, most recently with its 'Bags Fly Free' initiative," Showalter writes. "Southwest lets passengers check two pieces of luggage for free, while others charge $20 or more to check one bag." Southwest CEO Gary Kelly credits this one underdog move with boosting the airline's annual revenues by about $100 million.

????Showalter gives Ford Motor Co. (F) high marks for underdog thinking, too. "People admire Ford, as big as it is, for taking the scrappier and more difficult path and accepting no government bailout money," she says. "Especially in a recession, the public roots for any business that refuses to take the easy way and succeeds anyway by sheer grit. It's inspiring."

????A few of Showalter's picks for top underdogs of the year:

????Rhode Island State Treasurer Gina Raimondo. The rookie Democrat politician "never got the memo about not taking on the state's powerful public employee unions," Showalter says. Raimondo led the reform of Rhode Island's all-but-bankrupt public employee pension system. Her "unbiased approach gave her underdog street cred."

????Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. "Underdogs must use unconventional tactics to win, and Tebow is the apotheosis of unconventionality," says Showalter. Tebow, who took the Broncos from a 4-1 record to 7-1, is also "a cohesive team leader."