Huma Siraj
Everyone reacts differently to being misjudged. Some professionals may use it as incentive to prove doubters wrong and thrive in spite of the odds, while others may use it as an opportunity to reconsider their current position or career and seek a better fit.
While being underestimated and neglected can be a big barrier to individuals wanting to establish themselves, it can also be transformed into fuel that propels one up the career ladder. Twenty members of the Forbes Business Council describe instances in which they were undervalued in their roles or careers. Read on to hear more about their experiences and what they did to keep focused on their goals in spite of difficulties.
No 1. View it as a chance
I’ve been underestimated many times. It is nearly impossible to avoid being underestimated, particularly when venturing into unfamiliar areas or shattering conventions. It can hurt at first, but I’ve learnt to see it as a chance. What words cannot reveal, time does. By being grounded in purpose, delivering with consistency and raising others up along the road, I converted uncertainty into fuel and created a space where underestimating became transformation. Inova Healthcare System’s Paula Ferrada
No 2. Continue on Your Present Course
Few people thought my co-founders and I could launch a multinational tech company from India. I’ve been undervalued before, but rather than changing who I am, I continued to show up, put in a lot of effort, and allowed perseverance to change the story. – Manoj Balraj, Experion Technologies
No 3. Embrace It
Would you rather be underrated or overestimated? Consider your selection as the headline of a piece about you. I would prefer to be undervalued so that I can enjoy showcasing my various abilities. One must be confident and grasp the day. ISET Agency’s Adelheid Waumboldt.
No 4. Continue Trying
Seventeen years ago, I got jobless. I was $100K in debt and had a newborn child. Everyone saw a failure, yet I began constructing regardless. Thirteen unsuccessful ventures later, I found my fire in UX. I concentrated on results, not approval, and when the opportunity came, I was afraid but jumped at it. Constant underestimate pushed me to launch UXDA, which is today an award-winning UX agency that services 150 banks and fintechs across 39 countries. – Alex Kreger, UXDA
No 5. Leverage It As Fuel
I’ve been asked whether I’m there to carry lunch during meetings because I’m an athlete with large arms and a shaved head. Rather than responding, I led the conversation, grinned, and identified myself as the CEO. I’ve learnt that being underestimated is free fuel that allows you surprise people with accomplishments instead of titles. – Ivan Popov, Vipe Studio.
No 6. Pay Attention to Your Work
Everyone is underestimated at some point in their career. I concentrated on the job because I knew my potential went beyond what other people could see. This kept me grounded in the awareness of my self-worth while producing the finest potential outcomes. When I reached the perceived boundaries of how others identified me, I sought other possibilities to help redefine what people thought was possible in that profession. Zenith Prep Academy’s Marcos Redondo
No 7. Use Your Creativity
In every ten years of my profession, I have been undervalued. While this was a crisis in my 20s, it ultimately affected my decisions in life. One of the wisest things I heard from a woman at a tech conference in San Francisco was, “The world underestimates what women in their 50s and beyond are capable of.” Malcom Gladwell once said that being the underdog gives you a certain amount of creative freedom. Anna Harrison, RAMMP
No 8. Implement Strong Infrastructure And Project Management
The rapid expansion following our Shark Tank debut brought in numerous additional voices with various approaches. As we grew, my initial strategy was undervalued since I was a young, inexperienced CEO. In order to unite the team behind my vision and get the company back on track for sustained, targeted growth, this experience forced me to strengthen project management and infrastructure. Kelley Higney, Bug Bite Thing
No 9. Let Your Outcomes Do the Speaking
I’ve also been undervalued in the past, particularly in my early professional years. I prevailed by allowing my outcomes speak for themselves rather than battling for attention. I became more driven and reliable as a result. My performance became self-evident over time. Self-assurance and respect are developed naturally by staying focused on the bigger picture. Rank Secure’s Baruch Labunski
No 10. Prioritize Building A Positive Reputation
Others have occasionally underestimated me because of my diminutive size and gender. That may have been a distraction early in my career, but I used it as inspiration. I maintained my eye on the ball, establishing my value via actions and results rather than attempting to fight a preconceived concept up front. I wanted to establish a reputation that came before me, and I have. Cindy Machles, Public Relations, and Glue Advertising
No 11. Embrace Cultural Understanding and Community Involvement
When I took over Computek College, many underestimated my abilities to overhaul a faltering institution that serves immigrants. Facing skepticism and heavy financial obstacles, I concentrated on community participation and cultural understanding. I’ve been able to turn Computek into one of Canada’s fastest-growing businesses for the past two years by remaining patient, paying attention, and making adjustments. – Muraly Srinarayanathas, Computek College
No 12. Grow Your Community and Network
Every entrepreneur, in my opinion, experiences a similar moment that ultimately motivates them to achieve success. When I was a single parent raising multiple kids and started my business, the odds were stacked against me. I was aware that some individuals in my life didn’t think I would succeed, but I concentrated on expanding my community and network. In the end, those individuals contributed to the company’s success. Emily Reynolds, R. Public Relations
No 13. Pay Attention to Actual Issues and Clients
Early in my career, many misjudged my abilities to construct a scalable CRM for enterprise clients. Instead of allowing skepticism hold me back, I concentrated on solving genuine problems and listening to customers. Over time, consistent achievements and innovation validated my vision and ability. Pipeliner CRM’s Nikolaus Kimla
No 14. Do Consistently Good Work
My supervisor only gave me little assignments when I first started because he believed I couldn’t manage more difficult job. I maintained my focus, consistently produced excellent work, and requested more challenging assignments. One year later, I was in charge of significant initiatives. I realized that performing good work consistently speaks louder than debating. Rankviz Private Limited’s Abdur Rehman
No 15. Achieve Assigned KPIs
When you are undervalued in your career, I propose constantly and diligently achieving the KPIs allocated to you. Your evaluation will naturally get better over time if you consistently fulfill those objectives. Leaders will be able to identify you as a professional who is continuously developing useful talents thanks to this. UNIFY PLATFORM AG’s Karita Takahisa
No 16. Construct Proof Systems
I was once informed that I couldn’t lead with concrete measurements because I was “too idealistic.” Instead of disputing, I concentrated on establishing that empathy and performance aren’t opposites, but amplify each other. I created systems where growth was fueled by culture and conversions were driven by care. Eventually, many who had doubts about me came to me for guidance. Providing unquestionable impact is a better response to underestimating than making noise. Enhancv and Volen Vulkov
No 17. Be Transparent and Receptive
Early on in my path of inventing Alloy, I was undervalued in general. In discussions about my aspirations to head a new business against more well-known brands, I was also denigrated. Instead of duplicating them, we were innovative and original in what we accomplished. Clients noticed. Over time, that responsiveness and transparency became our differentiator as we mapped out our route to revolutionize the market. – Brandon Aversano, The Alloy Market
No 18. Diligently Solve Visible, Persistent Problems
I was dismissed as “not ready” for a stretch position. Instead of lobbying, I identified an obvious, unpleasant problem; gave a rapid win; then stacked two more. I released a basic weekly dashboard, credited the team and let the results speak for themselves. My perspective changed, but I remained focused. Resolve actual issues, record the effects, and let the facts speak for itself. – Egor Karpovich, Travel Code Inc.
No 19. Stay Unwavering In Your Identity
Almost every day, I am undervalued. I’m neither noisy or combative. People frequently assume I don’t know what I’m doing because I lead with love, humor, and kindness. However, I’ve created a successful production firm and two of the biggest Indian cultural groups in Seattle. When your leadership style isn’t about command and control, busting preconceptions takes time. – Deepali Jamwal, Live2Dance LLC
No 20. Outperform Your Critics
We were initially written off as “three kids” taking on a controlled business. Instead of disputing, we out-executed them by mastering the requirements, shipping promptly and winning top-tier clients. Quietly, credibility grows. By the time naysayers caught on, we’d established irrefutable momentum. The most effective way to dispel uncertainty is via execution. – Haokun Qin, Gale
