Last night I had my virtual Emerging Leaders Class, and we discussed the ever so important topic of Presence. We attacked this subject from every angle. We talked about online, in person, physical presence, exposure and how that ties directly to building career capital, and our voice and how we can use it to not only be heard, but valued and respected.

Sometimes, when we speak—at work and elsewhere—we diminish ourselves with our choice of words. We use words like, “I’m sorry,” “Do you mind if I interject here,” “I’m just wondering if,” “I’m no expert, but,” “Am I making any sense,” and many more. Have you used any of these phrases? I certainly have and I’m guessing you have too, so it’s time for both of us to stop. Immediately! These words show our lack of self-confidence and make us behave small. Neither of which is O.K. and neither is helping us build a powerful and self-confident presence.

Fixing it overnight might not be possible, but consciously being aware of how we are diminishing ourselves is a great place to start. Pick one of those phrases that you say regularly and begin to phase it out of your vocabulary. If you hear yourself say it, correct yourself. Be aware of other people’s diminishing words, too. Own your confidence. Stand tall in who you are. Small is not anything anyone should be. 

With Gratitude,

Beth