I hear this vulnerable question often when working with visionary founders, whether speaking about their teams, board members or their organization as a whole. It’s often asked with accompanying pain, sadness, frustration, impatience and a feeling of not being heard, seen or valued. It is an all too common and painful experience, especially for people who are intuitive, insightful, or ahead of the curve in their thinking. If this resonates, let’s climb out of the weeds together, create some altitude and shine new light on this common issue.
By default you might make this situation meaningful and personal. I know I certainly have. I used to suffer a repeating theme or pattern, where I would share something, a solution, innovation or a vision, that folks couldn’t see or hear. It was dismissed and then suddenly, months or years down the road, I noticed them fully immersed in the vision, acting on it with zero acknowledgement of its origins. Ouch.
I suffered, until I generated a breakthrough, a different orientation that produced a profound POP in my awareness that rippled throughout my body. Instead of a weedy view, I saw hectares of forest filled with possibility.
Here are some questions that might begin to facilitate your own breakthrough:
What If You’re Ahead Of The Narrative?
You’re likely spotting patterns, truths, or possibilities before others are ready to see them. When you’re early to a realization, people often don’t have the context or cognitive readiness to receive it. So they dismiss it or forget you said it until they’re ready.
Ideas and vision are like seeds, when a tree grows from a seed planted, we behold it’s beauty but don’t often think about the seed that created the tree.
What If It Is A Delivery Vs. Reception Gap?
Sometimes the way we communicate our ideas doesn’t land because:
- We’re too concise or abstract.
- We assume others are tracking as fast as we are.
- We say things once, assuming that’s enough.
If you’re often the smartest person in the room, you might skip the connective tissue others need to come with you. This happens a lot with visionaries!
What Are People Hearing Through Their Own Filters?
Humans tend to listen for what fits their current beliefs, not necessarily what’s being said. If your message requires them to rethink, feel uncomfortable, or admit something vulnerable it often gets subconsciously blocked.
What Social Dynamics Are Present?
Unfortunately, when ideas finally become “safe” or popular, months or even years down the line, people often claim them without acknowledging the source because they truly have no idea that it didn’t originate with them.
What if your next leadership breakthrough is about owning your voice or your brilliance?
Perhaps it isn’t comfortable for you to claim credit, making it easier for others to forget or overlook your contribution.
This is common in:
- Gendered or hierarchical dynamics (e.g., women or quieter voices often get ignored until someone with more authority says it).
- Teams or groups where loudness is mistaken for leadership.
What Internalized Pattern Or Wound Might Be At Play Here?
If this has been happening for a long time, it may have left an imprint — a kind of expectation of not being heard. That can subtly shape how you present or withhold your insights, or how you feel when you are ignored — reinforcing the loop.
Questions for Reflection:
- When you do feel heard, what’s different?
- What would change if you gave yourself permission to slow down and be fully expressed?
- Notice the part of you that expects to be dismissed and emotionally prepares.
- In what environments do you feel most truly listened to, and what’s different about them?
A Reframe:
Remember, you’re not wrong, you’re likely just early, and under-recognized. But early voices are essential. Without people like you, collective insight never moves forward. The work may be in refining how you’re heard, and creating spaces where your insight is met with presence, not resistance.
If this resonates, let’s explore your specific situation. Together we can bridge the gap between your insight and others’ listening.
