Finding Your Signal in the Noise

The most powerful question in positioning isn’t “What do you do?”
It’s “What do people say when you leave the room?”

That’s your positioning.

Not your LinkedIn headline. Not your elevator pitch. Not your resume. It’s the mental shorthand people use to define you.

The Truth About Positioning

Most people get this wrong. They think positioning is about crafting the perfect story or memorizing the right pitch.

It’s not.

Positioning starts with a simple truth: Who you are stays constant. How people experience you? That’s fluid. And, that’s powerful when you understand it.

Think of yourself as a lighthouse. Your core signal never changes. But that signal looks different to different people:

• To the ship in the storm, you’re safety
• To the sailor planning a journey, you’re guidance
• To other lighthouses, you’re part of a navigation network

Same signal. Different meaning. All valuable.

The Pattern Recognition Game

Want to find your positioning? Start to look for patterns:

1. What problems do you naturally solve when you walk into a room?
2. When do you lose track of time?
3. What do people consistently thank you for?
4. What themes appear in your peak moments?
5. What do others seek from you, again and again?

These patterns reveal your signal. Your unique frequency.

A simple way to do this is by ending meetings and conversations with, “What was most helpful and useful to you in our conversation today?” or look at what you do in your free time, your hobbies and ask yourself, “What is it about this that I keep coming back to it or why do I love this so much?”

The Core vs. The Expression

Your core (your atomic centre) is unchanging. It’s your values, personality, skills, and character combined. But how you express this core? That adapts.

You’re not a chameleon, shifting who you are to fit in. You’re a prism. The light doesn’t change — only how it refracts in different environments.

Example:
Core: You simplify complexity by thinking from first principles.

Expressions:

• To executives: “I make difficult decisions clear”
• To teams: “I turn chaos into clarity”
• To clients: “I create order from confusion”

Different words. Same truth.

Finding Your Signal

Most positioning exercises give you frameworks. Here’s what they miss:

Your signal already exists.
You’re not creating it.
You’re uncovering it.

This requires introspection, self-awareness, reflection and long periods of sitting alone with your thoughts and being bored.

In those moments ask yourself:

When do you create disproportionate impact?

• What feels effortless to you but valuable to others?
• Where do you see solutions others miss?

What makes your approach uniquely yours?

• How do you solve problems differently?
• What perspective do you bring that others don’t?

Why can’t others easily replicate this?

• What combination of experiences shapes your lens?
• What makes your approach distinctive?

The Power of Context

Your positioning must work in context. Three questions help:

Who are you serving?

• Who benefits most from your natural patterns?
• Where does your signal resonate strongest?

What’s your unique promise?

• What consistent value do you create?
• What can they count on you for?

Why should they care?

• What emotional or practical need do you meet?
• How does your signal help them?

Making It Real

Positioning without action is just theory. Your signal needs to show up:

In your presence

• Do your actions align with your core?
• Does your behaviour reinforce your signal?

In your communication

• Does your message match your meaning?
• Are you consistent across channels?

In your choices

• Do your decisions reflect your positioning?
• Are you showing up where your signal matters most?

The Ultimate Test

Strong positioning passes three tests:

Authenticity

• Can you maintain this naturally? (are you trying to be someone you’re not?)
• Does it feel true to who you are?

Value

• Does it solve real problems?
• Can others articulate its worth?

Distinctiveness

• Is it uniquely yours?
• Can others easily claim it?

Finally

Positioning is a journey of clarity, not creativity. You’re not inventing something new. You’re revealing what’s already there.

Start here:

1. Observe your patterns
2. Find your signal
3. Test it in context
4. Express it consistently
5. Let it evolve naturally

Remember: If you don’t define your positioning, others will do it for you. And their version might not capture your true signal. Your positioning is your promise to the world.

Make it clear.
Make it true.
Make it yours.