Guess what? When it comes to asserting a point of view and behaving as an expert, we solo professionals often think the same way – somebody(s) else knows a lot more than we do.
Outside the confines of a company – in a place where job titles, org charts, tenure, office size, etc., have little significance – the solo professional world is also one in which nobody is officially in charge.
Which means that if you’re waiting for the local newspaper to call you up and happily inform you that “we’ve been watching and you have earned the right to speak your mind,” you’ll be waiting for a long time.
Instead, I recommend taking a page from my new friend Dave, the CPR instructor: Assume authority and take decisive action. Share your point of view, take a position, publish lots of content, offer lots of advice. (tweet this)
Might you make a mistake, be disagreed with or even say something stupid? I guarantee it.
But, as Dave observed, “Everyone else is as scared and unsure of their capabilities as you are. Just remember that when somebody’s heart stops beating, their chance of survival decreases by 10% every minute. Even if you don’t perform all the CPR steps perfectly, doing nothing is the worst possible action.”
When it comes to standing out from the crowd, being seen as an expert and growing your business, that’s about the best advice I’ve ever heard.
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