If you struggle to talk about your accomplishments without feeling uncomfortable, you’re not alone. For many professionals, self-promotion can feel like boasting, bragging, or stealing attention from others. But there’s a more generous way to think about it: true self-promotion lives at the intersection of empathy and accountability. It’s about making your contributions visible so others are informed, supported, and confident in what’s getting done.
One way to think about it comes from everyday life: My husband is easily self-promotional — he often lets me know when he’s done the dishes or taken out the trash. At first, it felt unnecessary — of course I trust him to handle things! But over time, I came to appreciate it because it kept me up-to-date on what had been taken care of. I realized he was helping me track what was done so I didn’t have to wonder or check. Professional self-promotion works the same way: updating your manager or teammates keeps them from expending energy wondering if something has been handled, and it shows who is engaged and contributing in meaningful ways.
1. Reframe It as Service and Responsibility When you share your work, you’re not just promoting yourself — you’re offering a service. You’re helping others understand what resources, skills, and leadership they have available. If you were organizing a project, wouldn’t you want to know who had experience, insight, or problem-solving skills that could help?
2. Share Credit Generously Self-promotion doesn’t have to mean “me, me, me.” When you talk about your contributions, highlight others too. For example: “I worked closely with Jane to solve this problem” or “Our team brainstormed this idea. I offered X contribution, and Barrie had this brilliant idea and added Y to it.” You stay visible, but you also demonstrate collaboration, generosity, and respect.
3. Tell the Story, Not Just the Outcome Instead of rattling off achievements, share brief stories that show your role. Storytelling naturally focuses on the journey — the challenges, teamwork, and insights — rather than just your title or result. A short narrative like “When our sales dropped, Amanda proposed a creative solution, and I urged her to take it to marketing” feels authentic, relational, and empathetic.
4. Use “We” When It’s True, “I” When It’s Honest If something was truly a team effort, say “we.” If you individually initiated or drove a key step, it’s okay to say “I.” Balancing “we” and “I” shows both accountability for your contributions and respect for others’ roles.
5. Update, Don’t Brag Sometimes a simple update is all you need: “This month I worked on improving team engagement and piloted a new idea.” No embellishment. No trumpet-blowing. Just a clear, professional update that keeps people aware of your evolving contributions — lifting cognitive load off their plates.
Bottom Line: Self-promotion isn’t selfish. It’s an act of empathy and accountability — a leadership skill that, when done authentically, builds trust, demonstrates reliability, and strengthens the flow of communication and partnership across your team.
