Business owners and executives beware, unless you are prepared to voice your opinons bodly, you risk falling to the wayside as others take the limelight.

I write this because time and time again I see truly inspirational thought leaders lurking in the shadows when they should be up their on their soapbox, demonstrating why they are the leading light in their field.

In an downturned market, executives should be making a big impact by being bold and opionated in order to stand out in an increasingly competitive environment. Business leaders and executives need to be able to share experiences and knowledge and more importantly be able to share their wisdom and views on key issues within the market if they are to rise above their competition.

Quite simply, if you don’t have have a speaking, writing and publishing strategy, you are not fulfilling your responsibility as leaders. In the current economic climate you need to be bold and opinionated and if not, well you simply shouldn’t even bother.

Your opinions and beliefs are just as important as, if not more important than any experience or knowledge and it’s fine for executives to share opinions as long as they let people know that’s what they are. You can’t be ‘wrong’ when you are stating an opinion. You only open yourself up for others to disagree with you if they feel like it, and as leaders it is important to be OK with that.

In times of economic hardship and stress, many businesses forget about marketing and pretty much abandon any kind of strategic marketing of their leaders. But it is a well-known fact that people buy from people and particularly people they like. More business leaders and owners are starting to realize the importance of being seen and heard, and sharing personal views on key issues. But after years of keeping personality out of business, the kind of openness and vulnerability they need to display is unchartered waters for many and that’s what is preventing them from making headway.

There was much said about Barack Obama’s presidential election and what is was about him that made him so likeable to the public. A year on, much of that same character is still there, although shades have been influenced by the practical day to day realities of his tenure. But ultimately, it was his openness and willingness to be vulnerable that helped people to relate to him and see him as a trusted leader in way that others had failed to do. He was prepared to be bold and opinionated and ruffle the feathers of others to stand up for what he believed was right.

It is this kind of boldness that will carry others towards their successes, if they are willing to embrace it.

So, are you ready to be BOLD?

Mindy Gibbins-Klein is founder of The Book Midwife