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[00:00:00] There's a message out there ~that's ~everywhere right now, or it might just be me that I'm seeing it everywhere. Maybe it's my feed. If you wanna be seen, you have to be bold, bright, and take up more space. But the question that I have for you is, What if that's not true? What if that's not actually you?
And what if the real secret to being visible. Respected and sought after isn't about being louder, but about being clearer in who you are. ~ ~Too often visibility is reduced to an aesthetic, bright colors, bold outfits, high energy personalities, ~ ~but leadership presence is so much deeper than that. It's not about forcing an image that doesn't align with you.
It's about stepping into a presence that feels powerful, natural, and [00:01:00] most importantly, yours. Today, I'm going to break down. While the bold equals visible narrative is actually flawed and really gets me frustrated, and I'm gonna talk to why I believe it's really outdated. ~And~ And also how visibility can actually work ~right across ,~ right across business and leadership.
And I wanna propose a smarter approach to showing up with a presence that's aligned completely to you. By the end of this episode, you are gonna have a completely new way of thinking about your presence, your brand, and how you wanna be seen as a leader. So let's get into it. Let's start where this idea that bold equals visible In a lot of entrepreneurial spaces, we've been told, wear bright colors, take up space, be high energy, or [00:02:00] else no one is going to notice you.
And then on the flip side, in corporate spaces, we've been told the opposite. Tone it down, blend in. Don't make too much of a statement, and then somewhere in between women have been stuck between these two extremes, either feeling like they have to perform a bigger, louder version of themselves to be seen or dull themselves down to be taken seriously, ~and~ and I'm tired of it,
the problem with these is they're both outdated. Visibility has nothing to do with volume. It's about clarity. Research says that executive presence and leadership perception have shown that some of the most respected and influential leaders aren't necessarily the loudest or the most bold. They are the ones with a strong, consistent [00:03:00] presence.
Think about some female leaders that are not so bold and loud where they don't rely on being the boldest in the room. They actually lead with presence. They stand out because they're clear, grounded, and intentional, not because they're the loudest voice in the room. So how about we start shifting this narrative from "How can I be more bold" to "How can I create a presence that's really aligned to who I am and where I want to go?" Now, let's get practical here. If bolder isn't the answer for you, then what is. What actually makes someone visible, respected, sought after? Well, this is something I like to call the visibility equation After analyzing lots of successful leaders and going [00:04:00] through a few experiences myself. I've come down to the fact that visibility is actually a combination of presence, positioning, and perception.
So let's break this down presence. This is how you carry yourself. It's your energy, it's your confidence. It's the way people experience you before you even say a word. It's not about the volume, it's about resonance. Positioning. This is where you place yourself. Are you in the rooms that align with your next level?
Are you showing up where the decision makers are? Perception? This is how people interpret your presence. Does ~ ~what they see actually align ~with ~with what you want them to perceive? I know a lot of women who've worked really hard on presence, but positioning and perception has kind of been left to the wayside.[00:05:00]
They think if I just keep showing up, people will instantly recognize my value. However, visibility isn't just about being present. It's about being strategic about where you show up and how you shape perception. So take a moment and think, where are you placing yourself right now? Are you in the right rooms, the right conversations?
Is your presence working for you or against you? Visibility isn't a one size fits all formula. It's about finding an approach that works for you. So here are a few steps to do that. Step one, I want you to really define your presence, not what everybody else says.
You have to be, , the colors that everybody else says you have to wear. This is about what energy do you naturally bring to a room? Are you more commanding or are you more of [00:06:00] a quiet authority? Both are powerful. You just need to know which one feels aligned for you. Step two, position yourself strategically.
Visibility isn't just about showing up. It's about showing up in the right places. Are you networking with people who align with your next level? Are you speaking in rooms where decision makers are present? Are you using platforms that really highlight your expertise?
Step three. I want you to align your style and your brand to really support your visibility. This is where style comes in. It's not just a generic wear bright colors to stand out because your visual presence should match the energy of your leadership if your style isn't aligned with your brand. It's going to [00:07:00] create a disconnect and that affects perception.
Your goal isn't to be the boldest, it's actually to be the most aligned version of yourself. This week, I challenge you to choose one of these areas, presence, positioning, or perception, and refine it. Maybe it's adjusting how you enter a room. Maybe it's seeking out new opportunities where your next level peers are, or maybe it's aligning your style so your leadership feels fully expressed.
Whatever it is, be intentional about it. Don't take the generic advice that is out there just to wear big, bold, bright colors if that's not who you are or what you represent. ~ ~You don't need to be the loudest to be the most visible. Real presence isn't about volume, it's [00:08:00] about resonance. Choose one area, presence, positioning, or perception to refine this week , and see how this shifts, how you show up.
If today's episode has really resonated with you and you wanna go deeper, ~ come join a,~ come join the wait list for the Activate Blueprint, where we map out exactly how to create presence position. And perception strategically to refine your brand so your leadership feels effortless and your style is completely aligned to you.
See the show notes below for further details. Thanks so much for tuning into the Style and Strategy podcast. If this resonated with you today, I'd love to hear your takeaways. So drop me a DM or tag me on Insta or LinkedIn, don't forget to hit subscribe and leave a review. Until next time.
