You are more qualified than you think you are.
That is not just a motivational line from this newly minted Media and Midlife Performance Coach. That is a fact.
And I know this because we have all been trained to see ourselves through the eyes of others. Especially at work. Whether you’re a former radio presenter, like me, or a corporate professional, we’ve both measured our value by external metrics.
Such is the nature of the corporate structure, measuring results and output by KPIs (or Key Performance Metrics) — instead of our true value. For me it was a popularity game decided by ratings and revenue. For you it might be a productivity game measured by deadlines met, task efficiency and profit margins or cost reductions.
Either way, we have created a culture that believes that we are only as qualified as someone else tells us we are. Or only if some statistical number deems us good enough.
But what if you could fill your own cup, ignite your own flame and claim your own spotlight? What if you never needed the applause, admiration or approval of others to validate your worth? What if you could control the narrative about your own value instead of waiting every six months to prove it in your KPIs?
That is visibility.
What is Visibility?
The corporate world throws the word “visibility” around quite a lot. But what exactly is visibility?
People often mistake the former professions I once had as a singer, dancer, actress as visibility. Performing on stage can draw attention, but visibility isn’t attention seeking. The performing arts is a respected craft and a discipline. Even an actor has to package their repertoire of work and range of experience just to land an audition.
Visibility is the deliberate process of shaping how others perceive your strengths, so people can understand the value of the work you do, can do and want to do. And this is accomplished through various means — knowing what you stand for and how you express it, how you present yourself, your affiliations and networks, your entire body of work, your daily efforts, the way you communicate, your online presence and your reputation.
But it starts with identifying your own direction and recognising your value. Because if you don’t decide what you want to be known for, someone else will decide for you.
Visibility isn’t vanity or asking for validation. It’s also not aimlessly volunteering yourself for every task just to get noticed or vapidly bragging about your latest achievements.
Visibility is a strategy, a strength and a skill that, when wielded correctly, opens doors you never imagined existed. It attracts opportunities aligned with your values and ambitions and can bring you the career advancement, leverage and longevity that you desire — and deserve.
Identity and Visibility are Intertwined
Our identity is constructed from the outside in from the moment we are born. We don’t get to decide who we are. Our parents, teachers, siblings, culture decide for us. The labels come early and stick hard. The smart one. The pretty one. The difficult one. The quiet one. The class clown. And because we are children with no other reference point, we take those labels as truth. We organise our whole identity and decision-making process around them.
The danger is not just that the labels might be wrong. The danger is that we never learn to define ourselves from the inside out. We become dependent on external feedback to confirm our worth. Which means when we leave the job, lose the title, exit the platform, go through a life transition — we have no internal anchor. The identity collapses because it was never truly ours to begin with.
But those labels were never an accurate or complete inventory of our capability or potential. And yet we internalised them. Visibility is the act of breaking that label by defining your own identity — on your own terms.
Visibility is Reclaiming Your Story
When you grow up with others telling you what role to perform and what steps you need to take to attain success, life can seem like an easy paint-by-numbers game. But growth is never linear. And as unique, three-dimensional beings, the true breadth and depth of who we are can never fit under one label.
Visibility is taking control of the narrative and making sure others recognise the full extent of our knowledge, experience and resilience accumulated over a lifetime.
It stings when others overlook or underestimate your abilities. Unfortunately, most people do not bother to take the effort to fully see someone. It’s easier for them to default to their preconceived notions than asking you to explain.
But being able to articulate what you do and who you help, instead of quietly accepting their opinion, does three powerful things. One, it helps expand someone’s limited perception of you. Two, it builds confidence, the more you speak up for yourself. And three, the more you speak life into your goals and dreams, the more likely you are to achieve them.
Visibility can feel terrifying. It means exposing ourselves to possible rejection, judgement and criticism. But I, for one, would rather be rejected for who I am, than be accepted for who I am not. Wouldn’t you? It’s too exhausting to keep up with appearances and maintain an image that someone else created for you. Also, why try so hard to be everybody’s cup of tea, when you were meant to be champagne? So sparkle. Stand out. Step into your spotlight.
Visibility is an ongoing practice and makes your value, abilities and ambition unmistakable — most importantly, to yourself. It helps rewire how you see yourself — through your own eyes, instead of through others. Visibility puts you in control of not just your narrative, but your career direction. It helps you take your power back.
Why People are Afraid To be Visible
Imposter Syndrome
Aside from not wanting to be an obnoxious braggart, the biggest barrier to visibility is impostor syndrome. Coined in 1978, feeling like a phony, no matter how evidence may point to the contrary, leads many qualified individuals to downplay their achievements, talents and abilities. It affects 45% of professionals aged 24-44, dropping to 23% among those aged 55-74. While it seems to ease with age, the habit of staying invisible is, by then, already deeply ingrained.
social norms
We are also influenced by a very human desire to belong. Standing out can attract attention, scrutiny and the possibility of social rejection. Fitting in feels safer than standing out.
Culture can reinforce that instinct especially when conformity is rewarded over individualism. Companies that place greater value on maintaining the status quo and face-saving create a culture that lacks the psychological safety to speak up. This results in employees routinely withholding input because of hierarchical power dynamics and the fear of criticism and retaliation.
workplace culture
More misunderstandings arise in workplaces where indirect and contextual communication is practised and preferred over a more direct style of communication. Ambiguity creates a minefield where a simple question could be interpreted as confrontational. So better to say nothing at all, avoid friction and keep playing small.
But there is a difference between individualism and individuality. You don’t have to abandon collaboration, humility or respect to become more visible. And visibility also means shining a light on other people’s accomplishments so you don’t need to ever feel like it’s self-indulgent. I have personally discovered that the best way to be seen, is to see others fully.
The good news is this isn’t a fixed cultural trait. A study comparing the US, India and Singapore found that people in all three cultures were more willing to speak up when an organisation emphasised choice and autonomy. In other words, environments where leaders encourage self-expression and creative problem-solving breed better, more open, communication and more visibility.
gender biases
Research also shows that women who actively promote themselves become less likeable. This means women are 28% less likely to promote their work than men, with only 60% of female employees taking any self-promotion steps at all. This gender bias prevents women from reaching the top of their game.
But research also proves that when women take leadership roles they make work better, improve business and add value to the company. And I can attest to that. The times that my career in radio advanced, were when my bosses were women. So women, please start sharing your accomplishments and don’t shy away from visibility. The workplace — and the world — needs more women leaders!
Why Competent People Cringe at Promoting Themselves
The irony is that the skills required to reach a level of excellence in a domain are often the same skills that prevent us from tooting our horn about it. Achieving excellence at something often means not admitting we are good enough at it, that there is always room for improvement. Unfortunately, that also means the converse is true.
According to the Dunning-Kruger 1999 paper, “Unskilled and Unaware of It”, the lowest-performing participants substantially overestimated their own performance. When someone is less competent it also means they are less capable of recognising their own deficiencies. On the upside, this makes them less self-conscious about promoting their work because they don’t get in their own way. Meanwhile, self-criticism and perfectionism often prevent people, who are actually good at what they do, from acting on their achievements.
Aside from the Dunning-Kruger Effect, many highly experienced professionals reach a level of expertise where they may unknowingly take their skills for granted. When they start to classify what comes naturally to them as common knowledge, they forget this valuable skill is something a less experienced individual has yet to attain. Mentoring a junior staff or volunteering your services to a community or charity could help you realise just how valuable your skills really are. Another way to recognise your worth is to intentionally becoming a beginner at something. When you develop a newfound appreciation for learning a new skill, it makes you a better teacher too.
Unfortunately, the expert trap is why many professionals believe the work should speak for itself. The uncomfortable truth is, your work cannot speak. People speak. Your job is to make sure they have something worth saying.
Visibility is Not Vanity
Many of us believe that we shouldn’t brag about our achievements. We grew up with the mantra: May the best man win. So we assume the bosses will see our efforts, the results we create and expect them to put two and two together. We think as long as we are consistently doing our best, and are visibly slogging away, that promotion has got to come soon. We expect loyalty and long tenures to be proof of not just seniority but wisdom and experience, especially if you’re in the 40s-50s age bracket.
So why do you still feel invisible or like nobody is recognising your worth? Why are you not further along in your career by now? Why aren’t they promoting you?
Is it ageism? Perhaps. Which means it requires more effort on our part to fight back against these biases.
The reality is the length of time you’ve been at a company or where you sit in the hierarchy of things no longer gives you automatic visibility. Working hard isn’t enough to make you visible even if people can see how exhausted you are. Visibility is translating your value into a practical application that the other person can see as beneficial.
And yes, visibility takes an investment of time and effort. You will need to put yourself out there to engage with the right people and attend networking events. You will have to curate your content online and periodically update your credentials to reflect where you are on your journey. But building your reputation and establishing relationships are always worthwhile.
You are the best. Now you have to package it so other people can see it too. Don’t let the misconception that visibility is tactless self-promotion or vain attention-seeking hold you back from building your reputation beyond your company and job title.
Visibility is Not Being Famous
I have spent decades building public visibility in two of the most competitive industries in the world: showbiz and media. And yet when I left my little media celebrity bubble in September 2023 to venture into entrepreneurship and coaching, I had a huge culture shock. I met countless corporate people and business owners who were genuinely surprised that my capabilities extended beyond possessing a nice voice and a large treasure trove of random music trivia. Pfft.
Because here’s the paradox: high visibility does not automatically translate into people understanding the full extent of your capabilities. And having an incredible set of skills doesn’t automatically make you visible either.
High visibility comes at a price. It can make you a target for opportunists, criticism, judgement, exploitation, unsolicited advice, unwanted attention and even extra responsibilities. You may even become stereotyped, making pivoting into a new role or new purpose difficult or isolating.
As a media personality with a public image, I have embraced that I may represent different things to different people. There will always be a part of your identity that someone else will hold onto. The bigger the impression people have of you, the narrower the box they try to fit you in. Corporate professionals in high-performing departments like sales, accounts, public relations, marketing and even Human Resources can also face the risk of getting pigeon-holed.
But do not let the impressions or opinions of others hold you back from your goals and ambitions. When you understand that you have a role in shaping your visibility, you can always change the narrative. And the good news is you don’t have to leave any of your former, better-known identities behind. Every version of you is part of your story and your journey.
Visibility Doesn’t Guarantee Understanding
You may have heard the saying, “What people think of you is none of your business.”
And in many cases that is true. Not everyone is entitled to your explanation, your story or your attention. But when your career depends on other people understanding your value, the story you put into the world is very much your business.
It doesn’t matter whether you are in showbiz or corporate; a media professional or a business owner; a coach or an emerging talent — you must never outsource how you are perceived to the public or to your peers. You must create your own personal brand and continuously update and refresh it as you grow and evolve.
Never confuse projection with perception. You can’t control every interpretation someone may have or stop them from projecting their own small-minded assumptions and limiting beliefs onto you. What you can do is make your own narrative so clear and consistent that the people who matter don’t have to guess. And their projection doesn’t shake your own perception of yourself.
Staying Relevant in a Rapidly Shifting Economy
It’s not just creative industries that have become infamous for unpredictable career paths. The corporate career model is changing too. Traditional hierarchies are being flattened. Organisations are constantly restructuring. Technology and AI are changing the nature of work. Skills are becoming obsolete faster, and portfolio, project-based fractional careers are becoming increasingly viable alternatives to the traditional corporate ladder.
We are expected to continuously upskill, reskill, adapt, wear multiple hats and remain resilient in an increasingly fluid environment. In fact, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 estimates that nearly 59% of the workforce will require reskilling or upskilling by 2030. In Singapore that number is 70% due to our hyper-digitised economy, strict demographic constraints, and heavy exposure to shifting global trade links.
This widespread need has triggered strong corporate alignment. 97% of Singapore companies are now prioritizing upskilling as a core workforce strategy. This is significantly higher than the global average of 85%. To keep businesses viable amid shifting macroeconomics, companies must continually pivot their business models, forcing their employees to acquire entirely new skill sets to remain competitive.
Visibility is no longer an option.
Visibility is a Survival Skill
All of this means your job title no longer tells the whole story of what you can do. It also means your professional identity can no longer live entirely inside one organisational hierarchy. As corporate careers become more skills-based and less title-based, you must make your value portable.
When the future of work looks more like that of a multi-talented freelance performer, you need to build your career the way a rockstar would, or risk being left behind.
Visibility is fast becoming a necessary survival skill. To keep up, we can no longer afford to take personal offense when our undocumented achievements and abilities go unrecognized. We can no longer leisurely lick our wounds or stay disgruntled and disillusioned for too long. We have to accept this new reality, recover quickly and adapt accordingly.
When you know how to master your visibility, you become the star of your own show. You are no longer chasing the spotlight. You own it.
Visibility Builds Career Equity
WIth the workplace shifting beneath our feet, visibility is becoming more important than ability. American management consultant Harvey Coleman emphasizes this even more in his 1996 book, Empowering Yourself: The Organizational Game Revealed.
In it, he introduces The PIE Theory, a framework for understanding the three factors that influence career advancement and argues why visibility, not just expertise alone, is the key to success.
- Performance: While doing your job exceptionally well is a basic requirement it only accounts for 10% of career success.
- Image: What people think of you and your work accounts for 30% of success.
- Exposure: Who knows you and your work, both internally and externally accounts for 60% of success.
His theory it proves the same philosophy that is true in marketing: If a tree falls in a forest but no one hears it, it never happened.
It doesn’t matter how qualified you are. You must be able to articulate who you help, why it matters and how you can help them. But once visibility does its job at attracting the attention you are aiming for, you still need to bring the goods.
Congruency is what makes you credible. So of course your abilities matter. Otherwise visibility is just false advertising.
How to Promote Yourself Without Being Obnoxious
If the idea of currying favour or playing politics makes your stomach turn, you’re on the right track. Visibility isn’t backstabbing your competition, showing off or brown-nosing your way to the top.
Unfortunately there will always be plenty of people who resort to such tactics. Don’t worry about them. Living inauthentically is exhausting. What you want is to burn bright without burning out.
To help you move away from superficial tactics, I developed The 6Vs of Authentic Visibility™. This is my sustainable blueprint for growth and career longevity.
The 6Vs of Authentic Visibility
To show up as your most authentic and professional self, first clarify your values.
- Values — What do I stand for? Know what matters to you and what you are unwilling to compromise.
- Vision — Where am I going? Know where you want to go and what impact you want to create.
- Vitality — Can I pursue these goals without sacrificing my health? Design your approach to success in a way that supports your long-term energy, health and performance, including how you work, sleep, recover, eat, move and manage stress.
- Voice — What do I have to say? Be able to communicate your thoughts, ideas and values with confidence.
- Visibility — How will I make my value known? Have a clear strategy that will make your value visible, both in person and online.
- Vibe Checks — Am I still aligned with my values and vision? Periodically check in with yourself to assess if your choices and opportunities remain aligned with your values and vision.
Values and Vibe Checks are the invisible but necessary bookends to The Encore Performance Method™. Combined with a spirit of play and curiosity, the key to success and discovering your purpose, these 6Vs will help direct your career in midlife and beyond.
Your Spotlight Awaits
This article is here to clarify what visibility is, and isn’t, so that all of us will feel less bashful about putting ourselves out there in a way that is congruent with who we are and what we stand for. Master the art of visibility and you will become known not just in your workplace, but in your industry and beyond. And you won’t even need to borrow Taylor Swift’s publicist.
There’s a belief that “empty vessels make the most noise”. And perhaps that is why many accomplished people are reluctant to make themselves more visible. If that is you, please stop shortchanging yourself, and the world, of all your brilliance.
Visibility is actually an act of service. And when done right, it is not tacky at all. Packaging your knowledge, experience and ideas in a way that is discoverable and memorable will make it easier for the people who need what you have to find you.
Don’t let ego or misplaced modesty stop you from shining at your brightest and giving your best. The world needs more compassionate and competent people to step into their spotlight, unapologetically.
Cheryl Miles is a certified nutrition coach, media trainer, and creator of The Encore Performance Method: Backstage to Spotlight.
