We live in a noisy world. Whichever industry you’re in, there are thousands of other people like you trying to get noticed.
Unless you distinguish yourself, you’ll never get a chance to show how different you actually are. To stand out, you need to develop what I call a “spiky” point of view.
How to bring out your spiky point of view
Here are the key elements of a spiky point of view.
A spiky point of view can be debated.
Others should be able to disagree with your spiky point of view. If everyone agrees with it, it’s too middle of the road.
A spiky point of view isn’t controversial for the sake of it.
There’s nothing more irritating than a contrarian who just wants to stir the pot.
It’s intellectually lazy.
Don’t be that person.
A spiky point of view teaches your audience something relevant they don’t already know.
Don’t just summarize information. Don’t only ask questions.
Offer a point of view that makes people see their problem in a new way.
You want them to say, “Hmm I hadn’t thought about it that way but this is so true. This is making me rethink a lot of things.”
A spiky point of view is rooted in evidence
A spiky point of view is rooted in evidence, but it doesn’t have to be a proven fact or universal truth.
Your perspective should be defensible. You should believe in it enough to advocate for it. But you have to be okay with people disagreeing with you.
If you wait for 100% consensus before you say your spiky point of view out loud, that day will never come.
A spiky point of view requires conviction
You have to be brave enough to advocate for what you believe in. It’s not a passive regurgitation of information. There’s a stance of advocacy and a bias toward action.
You’re trying to convince someone of this spiky point of view because you genuinely believe they’ll be better for it.
