Lessons in Visibility

“What do you mean I need to be more visible?”

That is what many leaders have heard from the managers and they are shocked. Why? They believe that they are doing a lot now and aren’t sure what it means to do even more.

I thought the same until a mentor sat me down and told me it wasn’t enough. It definitely surprised me and I wasn’t prepared to hear that feedback. I wondered how I had missed the clues along the way.

And my journey with visibility was far from over with that conversation. I’ve recently learned that launching my new book requires a lot of visibility.

I thought I would share my top three observations and lessons with you from the last month. I hope they help you think about your own visibility in a new way.

1. When you share information on social media about what you are doing, people actually get to see what you are doing! It isn’t bragging.

In two of my posts, I shared that I spoke at two women’s groups. I talked about the groups that I met with and how amazing the experiences were, because they were awesome! I am sharing information in the same way that other people share pictures of where they are traveling. Think about that for a second. People do that every day without a second thought. Does it help you realize that there are so many more things that you could share with others so they know you better?

2. Sharing what I am doing helps people see opportunities.

Those may be things that I could do to help them or speak at events that they are having. The posts this week brought out three more speaking opportunities for me to have in the next six months. Sharing information with others allows them to learn something new that they may comment on, ignore or take some form of action. Do you do something that many people are unaware of yet? Do you create beautiful custom furniture or handbags? Do you have a gift for helping people edit papers? Do you teach music? Whatever you do, tell other people about it and share why you love it! Who knows what the conversation may do, but you will never know if you don’t have it.

3. Fear is strong and will hold you back from becoming the best version of you.

I think back on the many times I was afraid to post something for fear of being judged. No one has ever done that, but my thinking about it prevented me from taking action. Don’t let something from the past or someone else’s opinions keep you from being seen. Focus on what you want to do and take some bold action. It doesn’t have to be anything big to start with, just do something. Fear hates it when you take action. So take action as often as you can, and you will no longer operate from fear, but from a place of confidence.

This has been my own journey to get visible. My hope is that all of you will do the same! This is your opportunity to create the visibility actions that work for you and build your confidence. If you need ideas, check out The Visibility Factor! There are hundreds of ideas and a step-by-step approach to help you create your own unique visibility plan.

It’s time to take action!

Leaders who take on a higher role don’t always recognize that they need to show up differently and in a bigger way.

It wasn’t something that I realized until my mentor gave me that feedback. So what does it take to change who you are and become bigger in your role? This is the time for you to play to win, not play to lose.

The first step is to be aware of how you show up currently.

Ask for feedback so you know what your perception is and also reflect how you are feeling in this role. Are you leading or managing? Does your team have the capabilities and skills to be successful? You can only be as strong as the weakest person in your team. Are there changes that you need to make to help you and/or your team succeed?

Now that you have that information, what do you want to do differently? What actions could you take to show up in a bigger way? How can you ensure that people know what you and your team are doing? Do you need help from other people?

Create a plan of action that will help you get to your goal of playing bigger. Then, start taking the actions that you have laid out in your plan.

Can you see differences in yourself? Are others sharing feedback of how they see differences in you? The most important thing to do is to be consistent with the actions that you take and remember your why.

This process of change takes time. Don’t give up. Stay motivated and keep going. Remember that each action you take will help you be seen in a new way and that is what will help you be considered for the next opportunity!

And if you need my help on your visibility journey, here is the link to set up a time with me for a 30-minute conversation.

Susan M Barber, President of Susan M Barber Coaching & Consulting, LLC, works with individuals, teams, and organizations to build skills that leaders need to attain breakthrough results. Her passion for coaching and leadership development is driven by seeing the transformation of leaders as they reach far beyond their own ideas of success. She continues to drive custom programs for groups that want to make changes in their careers to become more powerful leaders.