From Courage to Impact: The Six Dimensions of Strategic Self-Advocacy

We often enter a new year with a list of goals, a vision for our teams, and a clear drive to deliver. We focus on performance, outcomes, and momentum. But there is a quieter, more fundamental element of leadership that often goes unexamined: the courage to advocate for ourselves.

For many leaders, the phrase self-advocacy feels uncomfortable. It can carry the weight of “bragging” or self-promotion—ideas that feel misaligned with the human-centered, service-oriented leadership so many of us strive to embody. We’ve been conditioned to believe that if we do the work well, if we lead with excellence and hit our KPIs, our contributions will naturally be recognized.

And sometimes, that’s true.

But as we navigate an increasingly complex and noisy professional landscape, a harder truth has become impossible to ignore: our work doesn’t have a voice. You do.

To lead with intention is to recognize that impact alone is not enough if it isn’t understood. Self-advocacy is not about being the loudest in the room; it is about the intentional practice of strategic visibility. It is the bridge between the value you create and the recognition, access, and support required to expand your influence and reach your next level of leadership.

Self-Advocacy as a Leadership System

When we step back and look at self-advocacy through this broader lens, it becomes clear that it isn’t a single conversation or moment. It’s a system—one that reflects how leaders position their value, protect their capacity, and shape their path forward.

At BeLIVE, we think about self-advocacy as a leadership system, one made up of six distinct dimensions that shape up how our value is communicated, supported, and sustained over time.

These Six Dimensions of Strategic Self Advocacy provide a structured lens for thinking more holistically about where advocacy shows up in your leadership and where greater intention may be needed to fully support your impact.

What follows is an exploration of each of these dimensions, along with a few reflection questions to help you notice where your self-advocacy feels aligned and where it may be asking for more attention.

1. Strategic Impact (The Narrative)

At the center of modern self-advocacy is the ability to translate work into impact. This means moving beyond “I did my job” toward “I drove this result.”

Strategic impact is about interpretation. Leaders who excel here don’t assume others will connect the dots between effort and outcome. They make the business relevance of their work clear. They contextualize results. They link actions to value.

In today’s environment, where decisions are made quickly and attention is fragmented, clarity of narrative matters as much as performance itself.

Reflection:
How clearly do I translate my daily work into outcomes, impact, and business value?

2. Boundaries & Well-Being (The Sustainability)

Self-advocacy also includes advocating for the conditions required to perform at a high level. This is often misunderstood as a personal preference, when in reality it is a leadership responsibility.

Boundaries are not about doing less. They are about protecting focus, energy, and judgment — the very things leaders are relied on for. In a year marked by burnout, cognitive overload, and mental health strain, sustainable leadership requires clarity around expectations, availability, and capacity.

Advocating for well-being is not a withdrawal from responsibility; it is a commitment to consistent excellence.

Reflection:
Do I clearly communicate the conditions that allow me to perform at my best — or am I silently absorbing strain?

3. Resources & Support (The Tools)

Another critical area of self-advocacy is requesting the resources required to succeed before performance is compromised.

Too often, capable leaders compensate for gaps by working harder, staying longer, or carrying more — without naming what’s missing. Over time, this creates hidden risk: burnout, reduced quality, and misaligned expectations.

Strategic self-advocacy means recognizing that results depend on conditions. Advocating for tools, budget, clarity, or support is not weakness — it’s foresight.

Reflection:
Am I proactively advocating for the resources needed to deliver results, or waiting until the gap becomes a problem?

4. Growth & Stretch (The Future)

Self-advocacy is not only about the present; it’s about future positioning.

Leaders who grow intentionally make their aspirations visible before opportunities appear. They communicate what they want to learn, where they want to stretch, and how they’re preparing for what’s next. They don’t assume readiness will be inferred.

This is not about chasing titles. It’s about ensuring that growth is not left to timing or chance.

Reflection:
Have I clearly articulated where I want to grow — and am I actively positioning myself for that next level?

5. Strategic Alliances (The Sponsorship)

One of the most overlooked aspects of self-advocacy is advocating for access.

Performance alone does not create opportunity if your work and potential are not known in the rooms where decisions are made. Strategic alliances — including mentors, sponsors, and senior advocates — play a critical role in visibility, credibility, and advancement.

This dimension moves self-advocacy beyond being seen into being supported. It recognizes that leadership progression is rarely a solo journey.

Reflection:
Who is speaking my name in rooms I’m not in — and have I equipped them with the right narrative to do so?

6. Compensation & Value (The Recognition)

Finally, self-advocacy includes ongoing alignment around value and recognition.

Too often, compensation conversations are deferred to annual cycles, creating pressure and misalignment. Strategic leaders treat these conversations as part of an ongoing dialogue about contribution, growth, and trajectory.

Advocating for compensation is not about entitlement. It’s about stewardship of your value and ensuring recognition evolves alongside impact.

Reflection:
Am I having regular conversations about value and growth, or waiting for a single moment to carry all the weight?

The Shift That Changes Everything

As you reflect on these dimensions of self-advocacy, you may notice where courage has already been present in your leadership—and where it has stayed quiet. Not because of a gap in ability or commitment, but because self-advocacy often asks us to challenge habits we’ve relied on for years.

This is where the real shift begins.

Moving from courage to impact means choosing to be more intentional about how your value is communicated, supported, and positioned over time. It’s not about doing more, proving more, or becoming someone you’re not. It’s about aligning how you lead with how your leadership is understood.

You don’t need to address every dimension at once. Even focusing on one area—naming your impact more clearly, advocating for the conditions you need, or making your aspirations visible—can meaningfully change how your leadership shows up and how it’s supported.

And if this reflection has surfaced questions about visibility, boundaries, growth, or positioning for what’s next, you don't have to navigate them alone. I’m always open to a conversation — schedule time with me.

Because self-advocacy isn’t about proving yourself.
It’s about turning courage into impact across all aspects of your life.

Topics: Self-Advocacy, Presence, Mindset, Courage

Ilhiana Rojas is a Human Potential Expert, Executive & Leadership Coach, and founder of BeLIVE Coaching & Consulting.

A former Fortune 500 executive with more than 20 years of global leadership experience, she empowers professionals and teams to lead with intention, strengthen their presence, and unlock their full potential.  Through her signature frameworks, coaching programs, and workshops, Ilhiana helps leaders elevate communication, deepen trust, and navigate their careers with clarity and purpose.