I was having a conversation last week with a young woman leader about her public profile. She’s in her mid-thirties and has led program development for a multi-million-dollar nonprofit. She has enriched thousands of lives through her creative and incredible efforts. But here’s the thing: She hasn’t self-promoted, and as she put it, “nobody knows who I am or what I do.”
In fact, a lot of people assume that she’s employed to administer one or two far less important programs. Not lead dozens! I know this because that’s what I thought until we got talking, and we work in quite close quarters. Like, I’ve known her for more than a year. And I thought she was an administrator. And I’m nosy. I know everyone’s business.
The issue is: She’s been modest about her achievements and it’s cost her. She’s waited for others to promote her efforts rather than taking ownership. I told her that’s not unusual. For many people in the nonprofit sector it’s enough to do great work and help people. But in her case, particularly because “I look younger than I am,” people tend to assume she’s not ready for the next big job.
I told her that based on what I’d heard that minute about her successes, she was beyond ready for the next big job. The main thing is that she needs to both take credit for the work and also, reach a broader audience with her vision. It could be as simple as starting a weekly newsletter, I said. It’s not always about getting published in the New York Times.
The dirty secret of working for good causes is this. The people who deliver the most impressive work often hide from view. They’re too busy. They don’t have the capacity. But that’s a trap.
Sometimes people don’t want attention because they see it as somehow less important than “the job.” But attention is part of the job. Nonprofits are often mismanaged, and these good people plod along. If their managers aren’t looking to promote them, then nobody promotes them. Then they age out of the workforce and the impact they could have had passes us all by.
Stop the madness!
If you’ve got a strong vision for things that need to change in the world, it’s so important to put it out there. If you don’t, then some other joker will do so and they’ll get the attention you’re not. They don’t deserve it as much as you do, and that’s unfair. They don’t deserve the huge salary you’re not getting, or to take your funding. Let’s address the injustice together, eh? It’s easy. I’m good at it. And I’d love to help.
