“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” – Tony Robbins
I was lucky enough to attend Matt Church‘s Amplifiers showcase last week and wow – what a fantastic day. Being surrounded by such inspirational people, who are willing to put their thoughts and opinions out there for the world, made me think very hard about a few things; and one of those things was our tendency to not want to stand out from the crowd.
Why do we try to make ourselves invisible when it comes to our business abilities?
I am not sure whether it is a case of Global Impostor Syndrome, or because nobody encourages us to think ‘stand up, stand out’ – but as women, we are incredibly good at trying to hide in the shadows when it comes to personal promotion. And this is so wrong, because how can we expect those coming up through the business ranks – whether in corporate or as budding entrepreneurs – to say ‘I will stand in my own spotlight’ if they are not seeing any kind of example from those figuratively above them?
Every day, I see incredibly talented women who simply don’t know how to be visible. As a result – their achievements are constantly overlooked. And I hear the same refrain all the time – ‘oh, I don’t think I should say anything… after all, it’s just me. I am nobody special’.
This is not about boasting, or simply saying ‘I am great’; this is about recognising your own abilities and letting them shine through. It’s about inspiring others, communicating better, influencing behaviour. It’s about being yourself and letting people see all that you are capable of.
Think about it. Why should people listen to what you have to say if you don’t even believe in your own worth? If you aren’t prepared to be seen – and heard?
This week, I would like you all to take at least one of the following steps – stop being the ‘lovely assistant’ – come out of the magician’s cabinet and be seen:
- Celebrate an achievement publicly;
- Update your social media profile to reflect your worth;
- Approach someone with whom you would like to deal but previously thought ‘I’m not good enough’ for;
- Tell someone else how amazing they are at what they do – reciprocity!
Most of all, allow your natural personality to come out. There is a reason you have made it to where you are today. It’s because you’re you. And when people can see you, they will know how incredible you are.
Abracadabra!
