How Visibility at Work and at Home Can Increase your Impact with Susan Barber

It’s human nature to feel insecure and question our worth. In fact, not a day goes by where we are clouded with negative thoughts of unworthiness and not being enough.

How can we prove ourselves worthy? Worthy not just of the job title or position we hold, but even the success we are enjoying in our careers.

In a competitive environment like the workplace, there are times when we are afraid to speak our minds because when we do, our peers and colleagues might not understand, recognize or acknowledge our thoughts and actions.

This is a sign of invisibility in the workplace that can lower your self-esteem.

Remember: no one is perfect. We are all lacking in our own ways, and recognizing our flaws and imperfections is a brave first step towards becoming a better version of yourself. While it may seem simple or little, shifting your mindset can make a world of difference.

That is why I am delighted to have Susan Barber with me in this episode. She shares her story: from being invisible in the workplace to finally becoming seen - and now a successful author and a podcast host. She is passionate about creating a visibility movement in the workplace to bring out people's skills to the fullest.

Visibility is a work in progress. You might not see it in you now, but with the right support system, it would come out of you. And with people like Susan leading the way, the future looks bright for those who are ready to make their voices heard. Who knows? You might also become one of the successful people who would share their story and inspire others someday!

Thoughts to Empower

“You don’t have to be like everybody else, and you can do it in small simple steps.” - Susan Barber
“With visibility comes the responsibility to lead and check in on people and make sure people are okay. You can't have visibility without psychological safety. You just can't.” - Susan Barber
“Take small steps; they don't have to be big. You start saying you're capable, it leads to confidence.” - Becca Powers
“Start to look at yourself and the great things that you've already done and how you can use and show those off a bit more so that people can see you.” - Susan Barber
“As humans, we minimize our greatness and our accomplishments and we are blind to them.” - Becca Powers
“Post-pandemic, people are starting to look at families as important. They are showing their dogs on camera and their kids, and I love that. That's been normal because that's reality. Why would we hide that? So making those things visible is really important and recognizing that everybody can be struggling is okay too. We need to just help them. Ask if your person is fine; don’t just assume that they're fine because they said they are.” - Susan Barber

Key Points From This Episode:

Susan’s backstory and how she came up with the idea for her work, “The Visibility Factor”
How her self-discovery helped her visibility at work and at home
How fulfillment comes from the acceptance of our uniqueness
Being exposed to and overcoming Imposter Syndrome
How to improve visibility in your space authentically
Handling introverts in a workplace as a leader
Importance of an inspiration to boost self-confidence

About Susan Barber:

Susan M. Barber is an author, podcast host, former Fortune 500 IT Director turned Certified Executive Coach who helps business leaders to play bigger, increase their visibility, and finally, shine a light on their leadership strengths so they can elevate their position in the workplace. She brings a depth of business knowledge to her coaching from her 25+ years of leadership experience at Kraft Heinz. As the author and podcast host of The Visibility Factor, she is creating a visibility movement for leaders to show their value and be seen for their true talent. Susan is married with three children and lives in the Chicago area.