How to Be Taken Seriously at Work: 11 Proven Strategies

To be taken seriously at work, you need to align what you say, how you say it, and what you do. The most credible professionals master eleven core strategies: speaking with precision, setting firm boundaries, controlling body language, preparing obsessively, building strategic visibility, eliminating credibility-killers like upspeak and over-apologizing, delivering results consistently, dressing with intention, managing emotional reactions, owning your expertise, and advocating for yourself in high-stakes moments. Each strategy compounds over time, transforming how colleagues, managers, and executives perceive your authority.

What Does It Mean to Be Taken Seriously at Work?

Being taken seriously at work means that your ideas are heard, your contributions are valued, and your professional judgment is trusted. It's the difference between being invited into the room where decisions happen and hearing about those decisions after the fact.

This isn't about being loud or aggressive. It's about building professional credibility — a consistent pattern of communication, behavior, and results that signals competence and authority. When you're taken seriously, people stop questioning your qualifications and start seeking your opinion.

According to a 2023 study by McKinsey & Company, professionals who are perceived as credible and authoritative are 2.4 times more likely to be promoted into leadership roles than equally skilled peers who lack visible presence. The gap isn't talent. It's perception — and perception is something you can engineer.

Strategy 1–3: Master How You Communicate

Communication is the single fastest lever you can pull to change how people perceive you. The words you choose, the way you structure your thoughts, and the habits you eliminate all shape your professional identity.

1. Speak With Precision and Brevity

Rambling signals uncertainty. When you take two minutes to make a point that should take thirty seconds, people stop listening — and they start doubting whether you actually know what you're talking about.

Use what communication coaches call the Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) method: state your conclusion or recommendation first, then provide supporting context only if needed. For example, instead of saying, "So I was looking at the Q3 numbers and there's a lot going on, but I think maybe we should consider adjusting the budget," say: "I recommend we cut the Q3 marketing budget by 12%. Here's why."

A Harvard Business Review analysis found that executives who communicate concisely are rated 30% more favorably in leadership assessments than those who over-explain. Brevity isn't just efficient — it's a credibility signal. For a deeper dive into this skill, explore our guide on executive communication skills and the 7 techniques that build authority.

2. Eliminate Credibility-Killing Language Habits

Certain verbal habits silently erode your authority every time you speak. The most common offenders:

• Upspeak — ending statements as if they're questions ("We should launch in March?")
• Hedging — "I might be wrong, but…" or "This is just my opinion, but…"
• Over-apologizing — "Sorry, can I add something?" when you have every right to speak
• Filler words — excessive "um," "like," "you know," "actually"

These habits don't make you polite. They make you forgettable. Record yourself in your next meeting (with permission) and count how many times you hedge or apologize unnecessarily. Most people are shocked by the number.

Replace "I think we should maybe consider…" with "I recommend…" Replace "Sorry, but…" with "I'd like to add…" These shifts are small but the impact on how people receive your ideas is dramatic. Our article on assertive communication at work includes ready-to-use scripts for exactly these situations.

3. Prepare Obsessively for High-Visibility Moments

The professionals who seem effortlessly articulate in meetings aren't winging it. They prepare. Before any meeting where your credibility is on the line — presentations, project updates, one-on-ones with senior leaders — do three things:

1. Anticipate the three most likely questions and rehearse concise answers.
2. Prepare one data point or insight that nobody else in the room will have.
3. Decide on your one key message and make sure you deliver it regardless of how the conversation flows.

This kind of preparation is especially critical for introverts who may not think well on their feet. If that resonates, our guide on how to build confidence in meetings even as an introvert offers a complete framework for showing up powerfully without changing your personality.

Strategy 4–6: Control Your Non-Verbal Authority

Research from Albert Mehrabian's foundational communication studies — often cited as the "7-38-55 rule" — suggests that tone of voice and body language carry significantly more weight than words alone in shaping how your message is received. Whether or not you accept the exact percentages, the principle holds: how you carry yourself matters enormously.

4. Command the Room With Body Language

Three non-verbal shifts instantly increase how seriously people take you:

• Take up space. Don't shrink into your chair. Sit with your shoulders back, arms uncrossed, and feet flat on the floor. In standing conversations, plant your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Use deliberate gestures. Steepling your fingers, using open-palm gestures, and keeping your hands visible all signal confidence. Fidgeting, touching your face, and crossing your arms signal anxiety.
• Hold eye contact for 3-5 seconds at a time. This is the sweet spot — long enough to convey confidence, short enough to avoid discomfort. In group settings, make eye contact with different people as you make different points.

A 2020 study published in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior found that professionals who maintained consistent, open body language were perceived as 35% more competent by peers, even when delivering identical content to a control group with closed body language.

5. Master Your Vocal Presence

Your voice is a credibility instrument. A thin, rushed, or quiet voice undermines even the most brilliant ideas.

Focus on three vocal elements:

• Pace — Slow down by 10-15%. Rushing signals nervousness. Strategic pauses signal confidence.
• Pitch — End your sentences on a downward inflection. This signals certainty. Upward inflections signal doubt.
• Volume — Speak at a volume that reaches the back of the room, even in small meetings. Under-projecting is one of the most common reasons people get talked over.

Practice by reading a paragraph aloud and recording yourself. Then read it again at 80% of your natural speed, with deliberate pauses after key points. The difference will surprise you.

6. Dress and Present Yourself With Intention

This isn't about fashion. It's about alignment. Your appearance should match the level of authority you want to project.

Research from a 2012 study in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology (often called the "enclothed cognition" study) found that wearing clothes associated with authority not only changed how others perceived participants — it changed how participants perceived themselves, improving attention and confidence on cognitive tasks.

The practical rule: dress one level above your current role. If your office is business casual, incorporate one element of business professional. If your peers wear jeans, wear chinos. You don't need to overdress dramatically — just enough to signal that you take your role seriously.

Ready to Build Unshakable Professional Credibility? These strategies are just the beginning. The Credibility Code gives you the complete system — frameworks, scripts, and exercises — to command authority in every professional interaction. Discover The Credibility Code

Strategy 7–9: Build Strategic Visibility and Boundaries

Being good at your job isn't enough. You have to be visibly good at your job. And you have to protect your time and energy from the patterns that keep you stuck in a support role.

7. Make Your Contributions Visible

Many professionals — especially women, introverts, and early-career employees — fall into the "head down, work hard" trap. They assume their results will speak for themselves. They rarely do.

According to a 2022 survey by Catalyst, 45% of women leaders reported that their contributions were overlooked or credited to someone else. This isn't just a gender issue — anyone who doesn't actively manage their visibility risks being invisible.

Practical visibility tactics:

• Send brief update emails to your manager after completing key milestones. Two to three sentences is enough. "Completed the vendor analysis ahead of schedule. Key finding: switching suppliers would save $140K annually. Happy to walk through the details."
• Speak in the first five minutes of meetings. Research on the "primacy effect" shows that early contributors are perceived as more engaged and influential.
• Volunteer for cross-functional projects that expose you to senior leaders outside your immediate team.

For a complete roadmap on becoming the recognized authority in your field, read our guide on career authority and how to become the go-to expert at work.

8. Set Boundaries That Signal Self-Respect

People who say yes to everything get treated like a resource, not a leader. Setting boundaries isn't selfish — it's a credibility strategy.

When someone asks you to take on work that's beneath your role or outside your scope, use this framework:

• Acknowledge — "I understand this needs to get done."
• Redirect — "This falls outside my current priorities. Let me suggest someone better suited."
• Anchor — "I'm focused on [high-value project] right now, which [leader's name] has flagged as a priority."

The key is to frame your "no" in terms of organizational priorities, not personal preference. This positions you as strategic, not difficult.

9. Stop Doing Other People's Emotional Labor

Taking notes in every meeting. Planning team celebrations. Mediating conflicts between colleagues. These tasks are valuable — but if you're always the one doing them, you're being perceived as a helper, not a leader.

Track how much of your week goes to "glue work" — the invisible tasks that hold teams together but don't show up on performance reviews. If it's more than 10%, start delegating or rotating these responsibilities. Volunteer instead for the high-visibility tasks: presenting findings, leading kickoff meetings, representing your team to stakeholders.

Strategy 10–11: Build a Track Record of Authority

Long-term credibility isn't built in a single conversation. It's built through consistent patterns that compound over months and years.

10. Deliver Results, Then Narrate Them

Results are the foundation of credibility. Without them, every other strategy in this article is window dressing. But results alone aren't enough — you need to connect your results to business impact in language that leaders understand.

Instead of saying "I finished the project," say "I delivered the project two weeks early, which allowed the sales team to start outreach before the competitor's launch." This is the difference between reporting activity and demonstrating value.

Keep a "credibility file" — a running document where you log wins, positive feedback, and measurable outcomes. Update it weekly. This file becomes invaluable during performance reviews, salary negotiations, and promotion conversations. Speaking of negotiations, our guide on how to negotiate salary confidently shows you how to leverage this file for maximum impact.

11. Own Your Expertise Without Apology

Imposter syndrome is one of the biggest reasons talented professionals don't get taken seriously — not because they lack skill, but because they unconsciously signal doubt about their own competence.

A 2023 KPMG study found that 75% of executive women have experienced imposter syndrome at some point in their careers. The number for men is similarly high, though less frequently reported.

The antidote is what we call "authority anchoring" — deliberately framing your contributions through the lens of your expertise:

• Instead of "I'm not sure, but maybe we could try…" say "Based on my experience with similar projects, I'd recommend…"
• Instead of "This might be a dumb question…" say "I want to make sure we've considered…"
• Instead of "I got lucky on that one" say "I'm glad the strategy I chose paid off."

These aren't arrogant statements. They're accurate ones. Owning your expertise is not bragging — it's professional honesty. For more on overcoming the inner critic that holds you back, explore our guide on overcoming imposter syndrome at work.

Turn These Strategies Into Second Nature. Knowing what to do is one thing. Doing it consistently — especially under pressure — requires a system. The Credibility Code gives you the daily frameworks, scripts, and practice exercises to make professional authority your default mode. Discover The Credibility Code

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to be taken more seriously at work?

Most professionals notice a shift within 2-4 weeks of consistently applying communication and body language strategies. However, deep credibility — the kind that earns you promotions and leadership opportunities — compounds over 3-6 months. The key is consistency. One confident meeting won't change your reputation, but a pattern of confident meetings will. Start with one or two strategies and build from there.

What's the difference between being assertive and being aggressive at work?

Assertiveness means expressing your ideas, needs, and boundaries clearly and respectfully. Aggression means doing so at someone else's expense — through intimidation, dismissiveness, or hostility. Assertive communicators say "I disagree, and here's why." Aggressive communicators say "That's a terrible idea." The distinction matters enormously. Assertiveness builds credibility; aggression destroys trust. Our guide on assertive communication at work breaks down this difference with specific scripts.

Why am I not taken seriously at work even though I'm good at my job?

Competence and credibility are not the same thing. You can be excellent at your job and still be overlooked if you undermine your own authority through hedging language, poor body language, lack of visibility, or over-accommodating behavior. The most common culprit is invisible work — being the person who quietly delivers without ever making your contributions visible to decision-makers.

How can introverts be taken seriously in meetings?

Introverts don't need to become extroverts. They need a strategy. Prepare one key point before every meeting and deliver it in the first five minutes. Use written follow-ups to reinforce your ideas. Leverage one-on-one conversations where introverts often excel. Quality of contribution matters far more than quantity. Read our full guide on building confidence in meetings as an introvert.

Does being taken seriously at work require changing my personality?

No. Being taken seriously requires changing specific behaviors, not your core personality. You can be warm and still be authoritative. You can be soft-spoken and still command respect. The strategies in this article are behavioral adjustments — how you structure sentences, where you place your hands, when you speak up — not personality overhauls. Authenticity and authority are not opposites; the most credible leaders are both.

How do I recover if I've already been labeled as "not leadership material"?

Reputations can be rewritten, but it takes deliberate effort. Start by changing your most visible behaviors first — communication patterns in meetings, email tone, and body language. Then seek a high-visibility project where you can demonstrate leadership in front of new stakeholders who don't carry old perceptions. Finally, have a direct conversation with your manager: "I'm focused on developing my leadership presence. I'd appreciate your feedback over the next 90 days."

Your Credibility Transformation Starts Here. You've just read 11 strategies that can fundamentally change how people perceive you at work. But reading isn't the same as doing. The Credibility Code gives you the step-by-step system to implement every strategy in this article — with scripts, exercises, and frameworks designed for busy professionals who want results, not theory. Discover The Credibility Code