The Visibility Equation: Levers That Get You Promoted

Nov 18

You're doing senior-level work at a mid-level title.

You're solving problems nobody sees. You're delivering results that go unrecognized. You're waiting for the work to speak for itself.

Here's the issue: good work doesn't promote itself. You do.

I spent years hiring and leading at companies like Slack, Adobe, and Salesforce. I know exactly what gets someone promoted. It's not just performance. It's visibility.

Most high achievers underestimate how much visibility matters. They assume that if they do excellent work, leadership will notice. Sometimes that's true. Most of the time, it's not.

Here's the visibility equation that actually gets you promoted:

Lever: Strategic Communication

This isn't about talking more in meetings. It's about communicating the strategic impact of your work in a way that leadership can understand and value.

Most people report what they did. "I completed the project." "I hit the deadline." "I delivered the report."

Leaders who get promoted communicate why it mattered. "This project unblocked multiple teams and accelerated our Q4 timeline." "This solution reduced customer churn." "This initiative positioned us ahead of our competitors in a key market."

The shift:
Stop reporting tasks. Start communicating outcomes. Every time you update your manager or leadership on your work, include the strategic impact. What changed because of what you delivered? Who benefited? What problem did you solve?

Lever: Stakeholder Alignment

You can do excellent work, but if the people who make promotion decisions don't know about it, it doesn't matter.

This doesn't mean you need to be visible to everyone. It means you need to be visible to the right people. Your manager's manager. The leadership team. The stakeholders who influence promotion decisions.

When Anne-Marie came to me, she was being considered for a promotion. But she hadn't built visibility with the right stakeholders. We worked on positioning her strategic value, communicating her impact, and making sure the people who made decisions understood what she delivered.

The result: skip-level promotion.

The shift:
Identify the people who influence your career trajectory. Make sure they know what you're working on, what you're delivering, and the impact you're creating. This isn't self-promotion. It's strategic visibility.

Lever: Executive Presence

This is the hardest lever to define and the most important to develop.

Executive presence isn't about being the loudest voice in the room. It's about showing up with confidence, clarity, and strategic thinking. It's about contributing in a way that demonstrates you're already operating at the next level.

Leaders with executive presence:

Speak in terms of business impact, not just project updates
Ask strategic questions that move conversations forward
Take ownership without needing credit for every detail
Communicate clearly and concisely, even on complex topics
Stay grounded under pressure and navigate ambiguity well

When Simba came to me, he wanted to develop executive visibility and position himself as an emerging industry leader. We worked on how he showed up in leadership conversations, how he communicated his strategic thinking, and how he positioned himself for advancement.

The result: internal promotion secured within three months.

The shift:
Start operating at the next level before you have the title. Show up in meetings like you're already a director, VP, or senior leader. Contribute strategically. Speak concisely. Focus on impact. Leadership will notice.

Why Visibility Matters More Than You Think

Promotions don't happen because you deserve them. They happen because leadership sees your value and believes you can operate at the next level.

If you're doing great work but nobody sees it, you won't get promoted.

If you're delivering results but not communicating the strategic impact, you won't get promoted.

If you're capable of operating at the next level but you're not demonstrating it, you won't get promoted.

Visibility is the bridge between your capability and your advancement.

How to Build Visibility Without Feeling Like You're Self-Promoting

I know this is uncomfortable for a lot of high achievers. You don't want to brag. You don't want to come across as self-promoting. You want the work to be enough.

Here's the reframe: visibility isn't about bragging. It's about making sure the people who need to know about your impact actually know about it.

It's not "Look how great I am." It's "Here's the problem we solved and the impact it created."

It's not "I did this amazing thing." It's "This initiative delivered these results for the business."

It's not self-promotion. It's strategic communication.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Weekly Check-Ins with Your Manager:
Instead of "I finished the project," try "The project is complete and it unblocked teams who were waiting on this deliverable. We're now ahead of schedule for our launch."

Leadership Updates:
Instead of listing tasks, focus on outcomes. "This quarter, my team delivered strategic initiatives that increased efficiency and positioned us to scale into new markets."

Stakeholder Meetings:
Instead of waiting to be asked, proactively share what you're working on and why it matters. "I wanted to update you on the customer retention project. Early results show meaningful improvement in annual revenue."