Here’s something I wish someone had told me much earlier in my career:

In every organization, there’s the work you do… and the story people tell about the work you do.

Those two things are not the same. And if you leave the second one to chance, you’re leaving your career to chance.

That’s not about bragging or politicking. It’s about making sure the right people know the right things about your impact at the right time. It’s about shaping the narrative so the opportunities that should find you… actually do.

Over the years—working with CEOs, technical founders, and senior executives—I’ve learned that visibility runs on an unspoken operating system:

• Narrative – the story about your work that circulates when you’re not in the room.
• Sponsorship – senior leaders willing to spend political capital on you.
• Political skill – the judgment to get the right message to the right person at the right time.

They’re rarely taught in leadership programs, but they quietly decide who gets stretch assignments, who’s in the room when strategy is set, and who gets tapped to lead the next big thing.

And here’s the good news: this is learnable—for extroverts and introverts. You don’t have to work a room or speak at every meeting to be visible. You just have to be intentional about how your work travels beyond you.

Why Merit Isn’t Enough

We all love the idea of a pure meritocracy. Do good work, get rewarded. Nice, clean, and fair.

Also, outdated—because it didn’t work.

In most organizations, great work whispers unless you give it a microphone.

Research on career advancement shows that skills like situational awareness, strategic influence, and relationship management have a measurable effect on outcomes. In other words, merit is only part of the equation. The rest is about how—and to whom—that merit is communicated.

Without conscious attention, the three channels of opportunity—narrative, sponsorship, and political skill—tend to run on autopilot. And when that happens, the people who benefit most are the ones already adept at self-promotion. The rest of us have to be more deliberate.

What Visibility Really Means

I want to be clear: visibility is not volume. It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room, nor about the being the one who talks most.

Visibility is the sum of how others experience your clarity, your steadiness, and your value in high-stakes moments.

It’s:

• Delivering a message so crisp it sticks.
• Framing your work so people immediately understand why it matters.
• Knowing when to speak up, and when to let the story circulate without you.

And it’s especially doable for introverts, because so much of it happens in one-on-one conversations and small moments of influence—not just in big public forums.

The Connection Between Visibility and Imposter Syndrome

As you develop these visibility skills, you'll inevitably face another challenge that often emerges alongside increased recognition: imposter syndrome.

The more visible your work becomes—the more it travels beyond your immediate circle—the more likely you are to question whether you deserve the spotlight. This is especially true at key career inflection points when stakes are highest.

The Imposter Effect at Inflection Points

When opportunity knocks—especially for underrepresented groups—that’s when imposter feelings spike. You get the promotion, the big client pitch, the board presentation… and suddenly the inner voice says, Are you sure you belong here?

This isn’t because you lack skill. In fact, the research says the opposite. Capability often precedes confidence.

The fix is to ground yourself in evidence—results you can point to, proof points you can cite, stories you can retell with clarity. When you do that, you can act before you feel “ready” because you know the facts are on your side.

The Three Levers That Change the Game

While imposter syndrome can make us hesitant to step into the spotlight, having practical tools can make visibility feel less daunting. Let's explore three specific levers that can transform how your work is perceived—regardless of your comfort with self-promotion.

Think about the last time you shared a win. Did you simply report what you did? Or did you shape how it was heard?

The leaders who make the biggest moves don’t just share data—they control the frame. They work three levers every time:

• Framing – why it matters strategically.
• Timing – why it matters now.
• Ask – what needs to happen next.

For example, imagine you’ve improved your company’s onboarding process:

• Framing: “We removed a bottleneck that undermined customer trust.”
• Timing: “This is critical because churn rates are climbing in key accounts.”
• Ask: “We need resources to scale this across the company.”

Same accomplishment. Three possible outcomes depending on how you tell it.

Looping for Understanding

Now that we've covered the essential frameworks for amplifying your visibility, let's explore a practical technique that builds genuine connection. This approach ensures your increased visibility doesn't come across as self-promotion, but rather as authentic leadership.

Influence is built on trust—and trust is built on listening well. Charles Duhigg, in Supercommunicators, calls one simple technique “looping for understanding”.

Duhigg's looping for understanding has three parts:

1. Ask a question: The first step is to ask a question to make sure you've understood what the other person has said. This isn't just about the facts; it's about the feelings, values, and deeper meaning behind their words.
2. Repeat back in your own words: You then paraphrase or summarize what you heard, using your own language. This shows you're not just mindlessly repeating, but actively processing and trying to understand their perspective.
3. Ask if you got it right: The final and most crucial step is to ask for confirmation. You check with the other person to see if your understanding is accurate. This gives them the opportunity to correct you and ensures both of you are on the same page.

An Example of Looping for Understanding

Imagine a coworker, Sarah, comes to you and says, "I'm so frustrated with the project. I feel like my ideas are being ignored, and I'm not making any real progress."

Instead of jumping in with advice or your own opinion, a "supercommunicator" would use looping:

1. Ask a question: "So, it sounds like you're feeling like your contributions aren't being valued, and that's making you feel stuck. Is that right?"
2. Repeat back in your own words: You're summarizing her frustration, not just the words she used, but the underlying feeling of not being valued and the sense of stagnation.
3. Ask for confirmation: You end with a question like "Did I understand that correctly?" or "Is that what you're trying to say?"

This process shows Sarah that you are genuinely listening, which validates her feelings and builds trust. It also prevents misunderstandings and allows the conversation to move forward on a foundation of shared understanding.

1. Ask a genuine question—not a throwaway.
2. Reflect back what you heard, in your own words.
3. Verify: “Did I get that right?”

It sounds almost too simple, but it’s incredibly effective. It lowers defensiveness, surfaces hidden concerns, and creates the kind of connection that makes people want to work with you again.

The SARCA Framework — Your Visibility Shortcut

Now that we've explored these foundational concepts, let's dive into a practical framework you can use immediately. While building visibility and influence may seem complex, having a repeatable structure simplifies the process dramatically.

If you want your work to travel beyond you—so it’s mentioned in rooms you’re not even in—you need a simple, repeatable structure.

I call it the SARCA Framework:

1. Situation – Set the stage by connecting to a business priority or recognized challenge.
2. Action – Share what you did, clearly and without jargon.
3. Result – Spell out the measurable outcome—impact in numbers or meaningful change.
4. Credibility – Back it up with a data point, stakeholder quote, or third-party validation. This is where you earn trust.
5. Ask – Make the next step obvious—what decision, resource, or support you’re looking for.

This works because it blends what our brains remember best—story structure—with what decision-makers need to act—evidence and a clear request.

When you give people a story they can easily retell, they’re far more likely to advocate for you. SARCA gives them exactly that—an easy, repeatable narrative they can share in their own words.

How to Get Started Without Sounding “Salesy”

The easiest way to start is to give yourself a 30-Day Visibility Challenge:

• Pick two upcoming moments—meetings, reviews, project updates—where you can use SARCA.
• Identify two people who could amplify your message—a potential sponsor, a senior peer, someone respected across the organization.
• Tailor the story for each audience.

You don’t have to overhaul your calendar or add endless networking lunches. For introverts, this can be as simple as making better use of the conversations and touchpoints you already have.

Why This Matters Now

Visibility gains compound. Each clear, well-framed moment makes the next one easier.

And here’s the part I want you to hear most: you don’t have to be the loudest to be the most visible. You just have to be the clearest, the most consistent, and the most intentional.

When you master narrative, sponsorship, and political skill, you’re not just in the room—you’re helping set the agenda. And that changes everything.

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