Unveiled: See Yourself so Others Can See You

Getting Comfortable Being Seen

Jul 01, 2023

As we advocate for equitable access to opportunities, it is important to ensure that when we are successful, we are able to acknowledge it and own that narrative.

Here’s the disappointing statistic:

According to a study out of MIT Sloan which looked at 30,000 employees at a large retail chain, women, on average, received higher performance ratings than their male colleagues — yet still were marked as having less potential than said colleagues. This resulted in women being 14% less likely to be promoted than their male colleagues.

The continued trends in career advancement indicate deeply embedded operating processes that lead to inequitable outcomes and point to the need to shift the dynamic. We cannot wait for the system to change, despite all the well-intentioned statements about current leadership working towards better representation. We need to show up to make the system change for us, to drive an equitable experience throughout the talent lifecycle.

Being confident in your ability and demonstrating that confidence, insane confidence in yourself, to show through in how you show up, how you claim space, take credit for the work you do, and talk about your accomplishments, gaining further credibility, is a real need to flip the dynamic and enable equitable career advancement.

Positional power can be liberating. Acquiring power does not mean taking on more time-consuming work. The best top leaders step in to provide strategic direction, but also empower their team to execute strategy, encouraging team members to do the highest value-added work each is capable of. Don’t say ‘Yes’ to every additional ask - pause and reflect if it is adding more ‘busy work’ or does it add value (i.e. positional power) to your profile. A leader with power can aim for a purpose they truly believe in, rather than be forced to follow a path set by others. If power can be liberating, it can also positively affect personal wellbeing.