Putting Yourself in the Spotlight
SUMMARY
Do you feel a little bit hidden away where no one can see you or do you hold yourself back because you don't see yourself as an authority? Well, stick with me, because this week I want to help you come out of that and get the rewards of being the go-to person in your profession.
Some people feel that they are not worthy of being in the spotlight.
"Why would anyone want to see me?" This mindset will stop you from stepping forward. It’s not the practical skills or even the fear of going out, networking with others, building your practice, or even selling. It’s what you make it mean about yourself if you do.
Getting other people to like you starts with YOU needing to like yourself. The key to positioning is that people need to know you, like you, and trust you before they buy into anything you have to say or offer them as a service.
There are 3 things I often see people doing in this area that aren’t helping them.
The first is sending confusing messages.
The second thing is people having carbon-copy credentials.
The third issue is people chasing vanity metrics.
There are 5 key things you can do to amplify your authority and be seen in your profession and marketplace so you rise above all the noise of others who do what you do.
The first step is to stand out.
The second step is to solve the "now" problems.
The third step is to serve a cause.
The fourth step is to become a subject matter expert.
The fifth step is to speak out consistently.
Well, that's it from me for another week. Join me again next week as we continue this conversation around positioning you as the authority in your marketplace so that people see you, not everybody else.
I’ll see you then.
TRANSCRIPT
Do you feel a little bit hidden away where no one can see you or do you hold yourself back because you don't see yourself as an authority? Well, stick with me, because this week I want to help you come out of that and get the rewards of being the go-to person in your profession.
Hi, this is Grant Herbert, leadership and sustainable performance coach and today I want to continue our conversation around positioning, helping you go from being invisible to being in demand, by putting yourself in the spotlight.
Over the last couple of weeks, we have been having a conversation around positioning yourself, whether that be in a career where people within your profession see you for the value that you truly have and/or being able to position yourself in a marketplace when you need to build your practice. We've talked about the fact that a lot of people see you as the same as everybody else who does what you do. So today, I want to talk about amplifying your authority, putting yourself out there so that they only see YOU because you stand out.
The first thing we need to discuss in this area is the fact that some people don’t want to put themselves in the spotlight.
We also talk about those things in the identity area where you might feel like a fraud or be challenged by imposter syndrome. The worth you see in yourself may not be where it could be. So, while you continue to work through those areas, I want to give you some practical things you can do today to put yourself in the spotlight.
The first thing to do is to deal with what you make that mean. So, what does it mean to you to be in the spotlight? That’s the first thing you want to reconcile. If there are any limiting beliefs holding you back from doing that, that’s where you're going to find them.
Some people feel that they are not worthy of being in the spotlight.
"Why would anyone want to see me?" This mindset will stop you from stepping forward. It’s not the practical skills or even the fear of going out, networking with others, building your practice, or even selling. It’s what you make it mean about yourself if you do.
Here in Australia, in particular, there's a bit of a tall poppy syndrome, where people who put themselves out there are often pushed back down. This is because there are some people who feel less than therefore, are easily threatened by someone who stands out. So, instead of addressing their own issues, they take it out on the person who is standing out.
Why do I know this? Yes, I've worked with thousands of people all around the world who have this challenge, but the most experience I've had is in my own life. There were many opportunities for me to step out and be seen, but I didn’t take those opportunities back in the day because of how I felt about myself. Getting other people to like you starts with YOU needing to like yourself. The key to positioning is that people need to know you, like you, and trust you before they buy into anything you have to say or offer them as a service.
Step 1 then is for you to start liking yourself. Continue to work on this area, and if you need support, I'm here. Reach out and I will point you in the right direction so that you can overcome those limiting beliefs.
There are 3 things I often see people doing in this area that aren’t helping them.
The first is sending confusing messages. We’ll work on that next week when we dive into your messaging and how to put yourself out there.
The second thing I notice is people having carbon-copy credentials. LinkedIn profiles often look exactly the same as everyone else’s in the same firm, which doesn’t help you stand out. The only thing that changes is the name.
The third issue I see is people chasing vanity metrics, seeking approval from spectators rather than focusing on getting real results from their efforts. This leads to falling into the performance trap, where getting applause becomes more important than achieving meaningful outcomes. And once again, that was me.
However, when you fine-tune your approach and apply the strategies that I’ll help you with over the next few weeks, you will have a captivating message—one that people will stop and listen to. They’ll pause their scrolling, and you’ll become a master at communicating that message. You’ll build a movement of people who not only follow you and like what you’re saying but actually want to take it to the next step, whether it’s advancing in your career or building a client base.
There are 5 key things you can do to amplify your authority and be seen in your profession and marketplace so you rise above all the noise of others who do what you do.
The first step is to stand out.
As I mentioned earlier, you need to reconcile those limiting beliefs and make a conscious effort to stand out and rise above the noise. This isn’t something you just do on a whim; it’s something you plan for.
So, where do you have opportunities to get yourself out there and be seen? If you’re hidden under the noise with everybody else, nobody will notice you. And remember, I’m not just talking about social media here. That’s only a small part of the picture. There are many other opportunities for you to stand out.
The second step is to solve the "now" problems.
Instead of having a generalised message like everyone else or addressing generic problems, you need to let people know that you are solving the problems they have right now. We’re living in a different, rapidly changing world, and for some, this week or this month is vastly different from the last. So, looking at the context of right now for your particular people, you should focus on solving the problems that are most pressing to them—the ones that keep them up in the middle of the night or occupy their thoughts as they go to bed. So, looking at the context right now for your particular people, these are the problems you should address.
The third thing is to serve a cause.
Beyond what it is that you are doing, what’s the higher purpose of that?
So, if it's in a profession or an industry, how is that helping to grow and nurture that profession? How is it helping to solve problems on a more global scale? What is the true cause that you are serving?
As for me, I'm a mental health advocate across the world in professional services firms and other organisations. That’s what I do because it stems from my own story of burnout, breakdown, and mental health challenges during my military and corporate careers.
Even though I focus on leadership development, coaching, emotional intelligence, and all these areas, I do it as a means to reduce the incidence of mental health issues.
So, what is the cause that you are serving? What’s the purpose beyond the transactional aspect of what you do?
Number 4 is to become a subject matter expert. Get out there and let people know that there are particular things you are an expert in. Now, if you're having a challenge with the word "expert," then we need to go back to those identity issues.
So, once you've overcome those identity issues, you can then focus on what it is that you are an expert in and get that out there.
Number 5 is to speak out consistently. Find every opportunity to voice your expertise in your marketplace.
Once again, there might be some challenges to work through, especially if you're fearful of public speaking, as those 3 universal fears of not being enough, not belonging, and not being loved can surface. But there are 5 key things you can do to put yourself in the spotlight.
So, what are you going to choose first? I encourage you to pick one of those things, get out there, and make it happen because you have a message everyone needs to hear. Next week, we're going to unpack how you can create that message so that, instead of people scrolling past, they stop and think, "Wow, this is the message I need to hear right now."
Well, that's it from me for another week. Join me again next week as we continue this conversation around positioning you as the authority in your marketplace so that people see you, not everybody else.
I’ll see you then.
