Confidently advocating for yourself can have a number of positive impacts that extend to those ... [+]
As uncomfortable as it may be for some, confidence and self-advocacy are necessary for advancement into leadership positions. This can be challenging for a myriad of reasons. Neena Newberry, MBA, PHR, PCC is an award-winning executive coach with over 25 years of experience and the Founder/CEO of Newberry Solutions, a consultancy aimed at helping professionals gain the confidence to advance into high-performing leadership. She joined Negotiate Anything to share here expert advice for successful and authentic self-advocacy strategies for those hoping to move-up in the workplace.
The Value of Authentic Self-Advocacy
Confidently advocating for yourself can have a number of positive impacts that extend to those around you as well. Creative, inclusive leaders can create collaborative, high-performing teams. Leadership also has a strong influence on company or office culture. From that perspective, the desire to move into a leadership position can be an act of service to the company and its employees. Many professionals aspire to become leaders to create positive change, further demonstrating the value of successful self-advocacy.
Conversely, according to Newberry, failure to speak up can have consequences, both short and long-term. In the short-term, great ideas can go unheard and/or undiscussed. Sharing new or innovative ideas and suggestions can be incredibly useful to the team dynamic or company goals, so it’s important to confidently speak up.
In the long-term, failure to speak up or advocate can inadvertently communicate that you aren’t ready to step into a leadership position. Leaders often have a number of challenging responsibilities and decisions to make. Over time, if it appears that you aren’t willing to speak up, take risks or make suggestions, senior leadership may get the impression that you aren’t interested or willing to step into more responsibility.
“The higher up you go, the expectation is that you will wear your business leader hat, step out in your role and participate in areas that may not directly be your area of expertise,” she shared, demonstrating the importance of speaking up in the moment.
Additionally, Newberry reminds listeners that if you don’t feel confident before a promotion, you will more than likely still feel unqualified even after obtaining the position. This offers another benefit of practicing self-advocacy as early and as often as possible. The sooner you become comfortable with celebrating your ideas and accomplishments, the more confident you will be when you finally begin to move up.
What Holds Us Back
Despite the desire to be promoted, many people struggle with confidently advocating for themselves. According to Newberry, this happens for a couple of reasons.
The first is negative self-talk. For many professionals, years of self-doubt and negative internal dialogue act as a barrier to effective self-advocacy. Another common challenge is the desire to be perceived as humble. Many people don’t share their accomplishments or ideas out of fear of being perceived as arrogant.
How to Authentically Self-Advocate
While learning to self-advocate can feel uncomfortable for many, Newberry has some simple and practical tips for speaking up with confidence and authenticity.
First, to overcome feelings of insecurity or self-doubt, she recommends professionals begin keeping a list of all of the accomplishments (big and small) they achieve in the workplace. Seeing this list, especially if it’s handwritten, can help people see beyond their shortcomings and embrace a more accurate picture of their value.
Next, she encourages people to embrace enthusiasm when sharing achievements. Contrary to our internal beliefs, excitement and passion can be contagious. By sharing our wins and ideas with excitement, we are not only sharing positive energy with our team, but potentially motivating them as well.
Her final tip for developing a confident practice of self-advocacy is to compliment the team as a whole. Rather than focusing on yourself, highlight the ways in which everybody played a role in completing an important project or closing a big deal. Not only will this make others feel good, but it’s a great way to subtly remind yourself of your strengths and contributions to the company.
As uncomfortable as it may be at times, self-advocacy is essential to career advancement. That said, it becomes easier when we can find ways to do so authentically. Neena Newberry’s expert advice highlights the value of confidently speaking up in the workplace, as well as practical tips for overcoming negative self-talk and the fear of being perceived as arrogant. With practice, these insights play a key role in helping professionals grow from team members to high-performing leaders that cultivate a positive and productive culture.
Follow Neena Newberry, MBA, PHR, PCC on LinkedIn. To listen to the full episode, click here.
