When You Feel Undervalued, Unseen, and Unheard: How to Lead From the Middle Anyway
In December 2019, I began hearing troubling news about a new virus in China. By February of 2020, as an educator, I was tracking reports of school closures happening nearby. COVID-19 had arrived on our shores with full force. Because I held a postgraduate degree focusing on online learning, I started preparing my classroom and lessons for the possibility of remote teaching. When the official call came in late March for schools statewide to close, I was ready. But most of my colleagues and even district leaders were not. I offered help. I shared tools and guidance on how to transition smoothly into online learning. I reached out with solutions. But no one responded. No one asked for support. I felt dismissed.
Worse, I felt invisible—like my work did not matter, like I did not matter. I showed up and offered what I believed was meaningful support, but no one seemed to notice. The silence was deafening. I wondered if all my effort, degree, and preparation had been for nothing. I questioned my worth and my voice. At that moment, I did not feel overlooked. I felt erased.
Maybe you felt that way, too.
Whether during COVID or just last week at your job, that sense of being undervalued, unseen, and unheard can crush your motivation and make you question your purpose. It hits hard for millennials and Gen Z, who crave meaning and connection.
But here’s the truth: your value is not determined by who sees you. How you lead reveals it, especially when no one seems to be watching.
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” — Viktor E. Frankl
Let’s talk about what you can do when you feel stuck in that quiet space where your voice feels like an echo.
1. Start by Seeing Yourself
It sounds simple, but the hardest part of feeling invisible is how it affects your self-image. You begin to shrink. So pause. Reflect. Write out what you bring to the table, your strengths, contributions, and values. Use a tool like the CliftonStrengths Assessment to help identify your top natural talents and build confidence in what makes you unique.
2. Find One Voice That Listens
You do not need a crowd. You need to be a good listener. A peer. A coach. A mentor. Someone who will tell you the truth and remind you you are not crazy for wanting to be heard. If you are in Gen Z or a younger millennial, this is your call to build intentional relationships beyond your screen. Real connection beats digital applause every time.
"People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care." — John Maxwell
3. Use Your Voice Strategically
When you are overlooked, it is easy to either go silent or get loud in frustration. But the real power is in being strategic. Make your communication clear, consistent, and constructive. Speak to the solution, not just the problem. If your ideas are not heard in meetings, send a follow-up email with a recap and a question. Show initiative in small ways until your presence becomes undeniable.
Want to explore communication strategies in more depth? Check out Julian Treasure's TEDx talk “5 Ways to Listen Better.”
4. Lead Anyway
You do not need a title to lead. The Powerless Leader chooses influence over authority. Leading by example means being the one who sees others when you feel unseen and creating space for others when yours feels limited.
During the 2020 lockdowns, I had to relearn this. I started mentoring others. I reached out to coworkers to help them as they struggled with the online transition. I led from the middle. Slowly, the fog lifted, not because everything around me had changed but because something had changed in me.
5. Turn It Into Purpose
Millennials and Gen Z are purpose-driven. That is your superpower. Do not waste your pain. Use it to serve. Volunteer. Start a side-project. Create something. Speak up for someone else who feels what you feel.
You are not invisible. You are a lighthouse waiting to be lit.
Resource Round-Up:
The Powerless Leader Podcast – Episode 1 (Coming May 1)
Conclusion
Feeling unseen does not mean you are unworthy. Being unheard does not mean you have nothing to say. Being undervalued does not mean your work lacks value. Leadership from the middle is not about who listens to you first but how you keep showing up when no one is clapping. If you are struggling today, remember that your influence does not require permission. Your light is still needed. Lead anyway.
Want more on how to lead from the middle, even when you feel overlooked?
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