How To Get Over Your Fear of Visibility and Stand Out

A guide to becoming a thought leader

Photo by Rupert Britton on Unsplash

If you want to stand out in your field, you need to have thought leadership. Thought leadership is nothing more than sharing your thoughts and opinions about issues that matter to you. It’s about offering a unique point of view that’s valuable to people because it helps them on some level be happier or experience less pain in life.

Sometimes we get intimidated by the thought of having to be unique. The fact is, most ideas aren’t totally new. But you make it unique by adding in your own take and personality to it. Doing this takes guts. It’s scary and feels like you’re putting yourself out there for everyone to see, criticise and judge. It’s also exactly what you need to do to gain trust, credibility and respect from others who resonate with what you share.

You can’t have thought leadership without rejection. So you might as well get comfortable with having people disagree with you. Being a leader by sharing your opinion isn’t just for public figures or leaders at the top of an organisation. It’s for everyone. Sharing what you truly think and feel, even in a meeting with 2 people is taking ownership and personal leadership of being who you really are.

Your alternative is to blend in with everyone else by repeating conventional wisdom. The path of thought leadership is not for everyone, although I believe it should be if we’re to have a deeper understanding of each other and create a kinder and more compassionate world.

Here are a few of my views about getting over your fear of visibility so you can become a leader of yourself, who you are, what you represent and perhaps even become a thought leader in your field.

Identify what topic interests you the most

What are you most interested in sharing? What do you never get tired of exploring? What would you learn about and engage with even if you never got paid doing it?

Most people don’t just have one, but a few topics they’re interested in.

Mine are personal development, psychology, overcoming fears and anxieties, entrepreneurship, work, careers and making money.