What happens when you actively shape how you're seen, rather than leaving it to chance?

At some point, many of us have felt overlooked, underestimated, or even ignored in our work. We may have responded by putting our heads down and working that much harder, in the hope that someone would finally recognize our talents and skills.

Yet working harder can leave us feeling frustrated, especially when our efforts fail to change other people's perceptions. Harvard Business School Professor Laura Huang explains, "A lot of times, we think our hard work is going to speak for itself, but often we find that it doesn't. Even when we've proven ourselves and shown the ability to...provide value...we continue to have to guide the perceptions of others."

Laura is author of the book, Edge: Turning Adversity into Advantage. In this interview, she explains why we need to shape how others see us. She asserts, "People are perceiving and making attributions...all the time. If you realize...somebody's making an incorrect attribution about you, changing that...is...difficult. It's more difficult than if you...direct [it] from the get go."

Laura has been named one of the 40 Best Business School Professors Under the Age of 40. Her work has been featured in The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Nature.

Episode Links

@LauraHuangLA

When Its Okay to Trust Your Gut on a Big Decision

Dave Dahl of Dave's Killer Bread

Reinforcements: How to Get People to Help You by Heidi Grant

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You can learn more about Curious Minds' Host, Gayle Allen, and Producer and Editor, Rob Mancabelli, here.

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