Stop Playing Small: How to Command Space in Business & Academia
- Keara Peeples
- Feb 27
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 10
There’s a quiet tension that lives in both boardrooms and lecture halls. It’s the tension between knowing you have something to say — and deciding whether or not to say it. In a recent conversation on The Peeples' Exchange, where business meets education, we explored a simple but confronting question:
When have you shown up the boldest in the spaces you occupy?
Take a moment to make a list of the ways you feel you are bold or show up boldly on a day to day basis and keep it handy so that as you navigate this article, you can reflect on how you want to be bolder in the future and how to make that a reality. We're talking about being bold. Not being the loudest in the room or the most visible. We are talking about being “The boldest”. Boldness isn’t about volume; it’s about clarity.
Why Boldness Gets Suppressed?
Let’s be honest — boldness is often admired in theory and punished in practice.
In business, it can be muted by things like imposter syndrome, workplace politics, privilege, and systemic inequities. Even rigid hierarchies can often exert subtle pressures to “fit in” rather than stand out within your workplace community. There is also the added fear of being perceived as doing “too much.”
Many of us were taught to keep our heads down, especially if we are from a part of the world that associates silence with good behavior. There is sometimes a culture of prioritizing hard work, and that hard work is often seen as something that does not need to include your voice or the individual elements that make you, you. You may have even been told not to “ruffle feathers” in your workplace and to do as you are told. In other words, just blend in to a space until you’re invited forward.
In academia, boldness faces a different set of barriers...
Academic Gatekeeping, due to academia's hierarchical structure, can be stressful to navigate, as the chain of command established in some spaces is enforced.
Credential culture is also a huge hindrance to boldness. Sometimes it is hard to be taken seriously when you are not at the same academic level as others in the workplace. For example, someone with a PhD or EdD may, in some cases, be taken more seriously or seen as having more ethos than someone with an Associate's degree or a bachelor's degree. Fear of intellectual pushback can become a factor when up against credential culture and general academic gatekeeping, as anxiety can rise and cause people to erase their own voices.
The result of these inhibiting practices causes capable, prepared, insightful people to shrink themselves in order to remain comfortable in spaces that should be safe and open. Here’s the truth… Boldness isn’t punished for being wrong — it’s punished for being visible. Although visibility can feel risky, it is well worth the risk.
Boldness can look like:
Asking the question everyone is avoiding
Owning your expertise without apology
Saying, “I disagree,” with evidence and respect
Presenting a contrarian idea in a meeting
Challenging a dominant theory thoughtfully
It’s not about ego. It’s about alignment.
The Real Risks of Being Bold
Let’s not romanticize it. Boldness costs something. It may cost you comfort and approval when making requests at your workplace. Being bold may also interfere with your Familiar roles, leading to unpredictable outcomes. When you shift from agreeable to assertive, from silent to strategic, dynamics change. Some people won’t like it. Some will question it.
But here’s what boldness gives in return:
Credibility
Leadership
Expanded opportunities
Self-respect
And perhaps most importantly — alignment.
You don’t need everyone’s approval. You need your own.
Practical Tools for Showing Up Boldly
Boldness isn’t a personality trait. It’s a practice. Here are three quick tools that make it actionable in everyday life:
1. Shift Your Language
Pay attention to how often you minimize yourself.
Replace:
“I might be wrong, but…”
“This is just my opinion…”
With:
“Based on the data…”
“My perspective is…”
“From my experience…”
Language shapes perception — including how you see yourself.
2. Claim Your Space
Sometimes boldness is physical and procedural.
Sit at the table.
Speak early in meetings.
Submit the paper.
Apply for the grant.
Go for the promotion.
Don’t wait to feel 100% ready. Few people ever do.
3. Prepare to Be Challenged
If you’re going to be bold, expect resistance. The key is separating feedback from identity. A critique of your idea is not a critique of your worth. Stay curious instead of defensive. Ask questions. Clarify. Stand grounded. Being challenged doesn’t mean you were wrong to speak. It often means you were impactful.
A Moment of Reflection & The 48-Hour Peeples & Co. Challenge!
Boldness doesn’t always look like a major leap. Sometimes it’s one deliberate decision — to speak, to apply, to submit, to lead.
Reflection turns insight into action. This is the time to return to your notes from the beginning of the post. We want you to be intentional this week and write down answers to the following questions:
What would bold look like this week?
How do I define boldness for myself?
Where have I been holding back?
When you identify where you’ve been shrinking, you also uncover where you’re ready to expand. Take one bold action in the next 48 hours. Not next month. Not when you feel more prepared. Not when someone gives you permission. The greatest leaders and innovators of our lifetime have learned how to accept their boldness as a way of life.
Send the email.
Pitch the idea.
Ask the question.
Submit the proposal.
Start the conversation.
You don’t need permission to be bold, and you don't need to apologize for it either. Don't be sorry, just be.
On our recent Podcast Episode of The Peeples Exchange, we discuss share best-practices on how to grow your comfortability with showing up boldly as business leaders and community leaders. You can watch our latest episode here.
-Written by Regis Peeples on Friday, February 27th
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