Introducing a New Blog Series: Taking Up Space

by Claire L. Brady, EdD

I’m excited to share a new multi-part blog series written especially for higher ed professionals who want to lead boldly—without turning into someone they’re not.

Higher education is full of brilliant, community-driven leaders. People who care deeply, collaborate generously, and choose their words with intention. And yet, many of us have been socialized to use language that sounds polite, careful, accurate, and pleasant… even when that language quietly minimizes our influence.

Here’s the truth I’ll be exploring in this series: Language shapes perception—and perception shapes opportunity.

The words we use can shrink our presence, or they can expand it. They can make our leadership harder to see, or they can make our impact unmistakable.

Taking Up Space is for the quietly powerful humans who are ready to step more fully into their expertise, visibility, and leadership voice—without losing their collaborative soul or relational values. Each post offers practical reflections and actionable language shifts designed to help higher ed leaders show up with clarity, confidence, and care.

If you’ve ever felt like your leadership was real but your words didn’t quite capture it, this series is for you.

Let’s take up a little more space—together.

This image was created using ChatGPT.