Are You Willing to Be the Center of Attention at Work?

There are leaders and then there are followers, right? There are those who like to stand up on stage and get attention and then there are those who feel more comfortable working behind the scenes. Of course, there is room for all these different types of people in the world, but when it comes to your work and your career, being willing to stand up and be noticed may make you more successful and further your career.

There are so many different skills and traits that can be attributed to leadership capabilities, just as there are many different types and kinds of leaders. Different work environments require different sorts of leaders. In some situations, working quietly behind the scenes can be an advantage. Overall, however, those who are willing to stand up and be the center of attention-whether at a meeting or even in a small group-have a tendency to do better at work than those who do not really want anyone to know they are there.

Of course, it is important to differentiate between demanding all the attention and being willing to be noticed. There are those who crave attention and who will do anything to get it. This is different behavior than simply being willing to stand up and speak your mind, share an opinion, give a presentation or represent an idea or cause. Attention-seeking is quite different from being willing to be the center of attention when the situation demands it.

If you are overly shy or feel uncomfortable getting noticed at work, you do not have to strive to morph into a completely different person. Keep in mind, that you can practice making public presentations and speaking in front of groups in various capacities in order to build up your comfort level. Start speaking up in meetings and offering your opinion in small groups as a way to get your feet wet. You may find that when you are talking about work or something you feel passionate about, you are better able to be the center of attention than when you are talking about personal things. You do not have to be in the spotlight ALL the time, but you can work to get comfortable getting noticed.