Self-promotion and profile building is right up there with networking – and most people would rather go to the dentist and have root canal surgery than do either. We somehow align both with the shifty used car sales tactics of yesteryear.

But unless you’ve been hidden in a mine shaft (and some of my clients literally are), or perhaps been in the fortunate position of never having to self-promote because someone was doing it for you, then you will have read the headlines that doing good work is not enough.

Yet never has self-promotion been more important. In an era of personal branding, where it’s expected that leaders and C-level executives have a public profile, and where successful CEOs know how to create followers, those with leadership goals, but who don’t take personal branding seriously, will be the ones missing out.

So how does self promotion help and/or hinder?

Self-promotion is a particularly murky area for women as we run the risk of being penalised by both men and women when we get it wrong or for merely breaching common social stereotypes.  Bias, stereotypes, perception and other shady areas of grey all get muddled up – so we tend to avoid self-promotion entirely.

For those with deep subject matter expertise and/or for those who want to have far greater impact, you absolutely need to get out of your own way and learn to self advocate, self-promote and articulate your expertise and experience in language that decision makers value and understand.

We all need to confidently articulate how our expertise, experience or results become a value add to an organisation in different ways to suit different audiences, over and over again, without sounding like a broken record. Easier said than done, but don’t let that stop you.

Plus, it’s not just great for you.  It will also ensure your business unit or division is seen, heard and valued as well.

So what are those misconceptions? 

Misconception #1 – Build it and they will come

Remember the famous line from Kevin Costner’s Field of Dreams?  He had built a baseball stadium and people magically turned up from all over to attend simply because he built it.

In a highly competitive job market, where we confuse confidence with  competence, you simply cannot afford to assume that people will actually see the value or commercial application of your experience or expertise without you doing anything to draw attention to it. Build it and they will come is a very risky strategy and only works in the movies.

Misconception #2 – Results should speak for themselves  

In fact, results rarely speak for themselves and we have to interpret them, share and speak to them ourselves. Awesome bombing, achievement dropping and ad-hoc progress reporting should be essential components of your executive career toolkit, executed in a way that navigates social norms and stereotypes.

Everyone is the protagonist in their own movie so not as invested your success and progress as they are in their own. Plus work is not school so your individual great results won’t necessarily be tracked and celebrated unless you take the lead.

• Mistake 1 – assuming others are as invested in your own results and career as you are

• Mistake 2 – assuming others are great at interpreting your results

• Mistake 3 – assuming you don’t need to do this

Misconception #3 – I’ve got a great boss so I’ll be okay

This is frequently one of the most common stories I hear from senior level women, who perhaps up until now have had great champions and sponsors, who smoothed their way. The downside is that they haven’t learned to do this for themselves. So if and when their boss disappears (resigns, is made redundant or retires), the individual finds themselves exposed without having developed their own self-promotion muscle, skill or confidence.

Empowered women make a bigger difference

If you are a woman learning to self-promote, yes, it can feel like a murky area.  However you still need to self-promote to ensure you not only win the next raise or promotion more easily, but that your voice is heard within the business, and that you get to truly make a difference.

As with any new skill, it will feel uncomfortable, you will make mistakes and it will take practice, so don’t wait too late to start.  The smartest women I know learn this tactic early and get support as well.

Developing competence and confidence around self-promotion and building your profile, should be part and parcel of an effective career strategy for anyone serious about their career.

Remember – smart and savvy truly is the name of this game!

Vive la révolution!

 #ambitionrevolution #FeminineAmbitionRocks #LookOutCSuiteHereSheComes #ICreateSheroes