“If you are not shaping your story, someone else is — and they may not tell it as well as you would.”
This past week, I spent time with a group of ambitious professionals in our SUCA 2 coaching class — a room filled with energy, reflection, and truth. We weren’t polishing CVs or updating job boards. We were talking about something far more critical in today’s professional world:
Visibility!
In a world overflowing with talent and noise, it’s not enough to be good. You also have to be seen — and more importantly, remembered.
Let’s Be Real: Your Work Won’t Speak for Itself. You’ve probably heard the phrase “let your work speak for itself.” But let’s tell the truth — in 2025, your work doesn’t have a microphone unless you give it one.
Whether you’re gunning for the next promotion or quietly building a legacy, the world doesn’t reward the invisible. It rewards the visible and valuable.
As Stephen Covey reminded us in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “To know and not to do is really not to know.” In the same spirit — to be great and not to be seen is, in effect, to be unseen.
The Real Anatomy of Visibility
Here’s the breakdown we explored in class — and what I believe every professional should internalize:
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Brand: What do people remember when you leave the room?
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Presence: Are you in the rooms where decisions happen?
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Network: Who knows you and what you stand for?
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Value Sharing: Are you known for what you give, not just what you know?
When those four align, you stop chasing opportunities. They start finding you.
One SUCA participant put it perfectly: “I’ve been working hard, but not visibly. Now I’m ready to step out of the quiet corner I’ve been hiding in.”
That’s when it hit me: this isn’t about algorithms. It’s about agency.
I’ve Lived This Firsthand
Some of the biggest opportunities in my career didn’t come from qualifications alone. They came because I was visible.
I’ve been called for roles because of my LinkedIn profile and content confirming that Linkedin works. I’ve been supported by networks I didn’t even know I’d built. I’ve received promotions because the value I added was evident, not hidden.
And guess what, none of that was accidental. It came from being intentional, from showing up consistently — in rooms, on platforms, and in moments that mattered.
This is why I say: personal branding is the starting point. Visibility is the engine. It’s how your brand lives in the minds of others — not once, but over time.
Let’s Stop Equating Visibility with Arrogance
There’s this myth we need to retire — that being visible is being boastful. It’s not.
Visibility is not about shouting. It’s about showing up with substance. It’s about being present where decisions are made, where networks grow, and where your future gets shaped.
People want to support you. But how can they help if they don’t know who you are, what you care about, or where you’re headed?
To borrow a blunt but true phrase: “Closed mouths don’t get fed.” Neither do hidden voices.
A Visibility Checklist You Can Start This Week
Not sure where to begin? Start small. But start:
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✅ Share one real lesson from your work this week on LinkedIn.
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✅ Check in with someone in your network you haven’t spoken to in a while.
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✅ Offer help on a problem you’ve already solved — without waiting to be asked.
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✅ Speak up in your next meeting — even if your voice shakes.
These small actions stack. Over time, they turn into presence. Then influence. Then demand. But they have to be done consistently with intentional precision.
The Visibility Ladder: A 3-Stage Framework
We use a model in SUCA called the Visibility Ladder:
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Be Known – Build awareness. Let people know you exist.
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Be Trusted – Show up consistently and deliver value.
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Be Sought Out – Become the person others turn to.
That’s when you stop chasing roles — and roles start chasing you.
One Last Thing the SUCA Class Reminded US
Growth doesn’t always mean doing more. Sometimes it means being seen more clearly.
Visibility isn’t nice to have. It’s not a tool for the loudest or most extroverted among us. It’s a career survival skill in today’s world of performance, perception, and potential.
So, ask yourself:
Are you shaping your story? Or leaving it up to someone else?
If you’ve been quietly building, that’s admirable. But it’s time to be seen.
Because visibility isn’t vanity. It’s your next promotion. Your next investor. Your next open door.
And the world is watching — whether you show up or not.
Hillary Oonge is a leadership strategist, Personal Effectiveness coach, and the Chief Operating Officer at SKM Africa LLP. He leads transformation and performance strategy for finance professionals and organizations across Africa.
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