Let’s cut to the chase: if you’re constantly downplaying your skills, shrinking in meetings, or saying “yes” when you really want to scream “absolutely not,” it’s not humility. It’s expensive.
We’re talking missed promotions, and money-left-on-the-table and burnout-for-no-bonus, expensive.
Here’s your wake-up call: playing small doesn’t protect you. It delays your progress.
And in today’s economy, where inflation is high and career pivots are common, shrinking into safety is not a strategy.
Let’s Talk Facts
- 70% of professionals are less likely to quit their current role before finding a new one, indicating many remain in their current jobs longer than they might ideally want to, just to avoid risks.
- Negotiating your first job offer can potentially increase lifetime earnings by over $1 million, according to a Harvard study.
- Less than 20% of employees say their performance reviews inspire them to grow, and disengaged employees cost U.S. companies a collective $1.6 trillion annually.
- Professionals who self-advocate early experience an 18.8% salary increase on average.
Bottom line? The people who win aren’t always the most talented—they’re the most visible and vocal.
5 Signs You’re Playing Too Small at Work (and What to Do About It)
1) You Wait for Permission Instead of Taking Initiative
You’ve got big ideas… but they’re still sitting in your Notes app.
“I don’t want to overstep…”
Let me stop you right there. Step.
Power Move: Pitch it. Email it. Present it. Done is better than silent.
2) You Downplay Your Accomplishments
You led a project that saved the company six figures, but your recap sounds like, “I just helped out.”
Nope.
Power Move: Keep a “brag file” and document your wins weekly. Come review time? You’ve got receipts.
3) You’re Afraid to Ask for More
No raise. No title change. Same inbox full of requests. Sounds familiar?
Power Move: Research your market value. Set a meeting with your manager. Come with data and confidence.
4) You Keep Saying “Yes” to Everything
Being the go-to person isn’t always a compliment.
Sometimes, it’s a sign of poor boundaries.
Power Move: Practice saying, “I’d love to help, but I’m at capacity.”
Your time is valuable. Treat it that way.
5) You’re Still Waiting to Be Noticed
Here’s the truth: people are too busy to “just notice” you. Visibility is your responsibility.
Power Move: Speak up in meetings. Share your work online. Ask your boss out to lunch and share your work wins. Let people know what you bring to the table.
Your Career is a Business—Run It Like One
You’re not an employee. You’re a brand. A business. An asset.
When you start thinking like a CEO—with strategy, boldness, and boundaries, your whole career trajectory changes.
Your Power Play Plan
Audit your value: Know what makes you exceptional
Articulate your wins: Track metrics, quotes, and testimonials
Advocate for yourself: Ask for more—and mean it
Align with the right people: Choose mentors, sponsors, and stretch assignments
Advance on purpose: Make intentional moves toward what’s next
Final Word
You weren’t built to play small.
You were built to lead, build, and break ceilings.
So, stop shrinking. Strategize.
Expansion is your next move.
Elevate your next career summit, corporate workshop, or virtual panel with insights that inspire action and drive results—book me as a resource person to empower your audience to own their worth, amplify their impact, and break through career ceilings.Plus, fuel your personal growth with my bestselling books, “Tech Hustle: From Classroom to Boardroom” and “Hustle Your Way to Financial Freedom: Unleash Your Inner Shark”—available now on Amazon.