Visibility Isn’t Vanity, It’s Infrastructure, Argues Leslie Greenwood

In a recent LinkedIn post, Leslie Greenwood tackles a common misconception many executive women face regarding professional visibility. Greenwood highlights the pervasive societal narrative that talking about one’s accomplishments is inherently egotistical, a belief that can hinder career progression and opportunity.

Greenwood shares her observations from speaking with hundreds of executive women over the past two years, noting a recurring hesitation rooted in the fear of sounding boastful. She questions this mindset by posing direct questions about tangible achievements:

“Are you a CEO? Did you build a seven-figure business? Have you led a team through an acquisition? Have you been promoted into executive leadership? If the answer is yes… Those aren’t opinions. They’re facts.”

According to Greenwood, this ingrained belief that confidence should remain silent, and that hard work alone guarantees recognition, often leads to missed opportunities. She asserts that this is a flawed strategy, as relying solely on others to notice one’s contributions is frequently unsuccessful.

Visibility as Essential Infrastructure

Leslie Greenwood posits that visibility should be reframed not as vanity, but as a crucial component of professional infrastructure. This infrastructure, she explains, is what allows opportunities to find individuals. She elaborates on the tangible benefits of being visible:

“Visibility isn’t vanity. It’s infrastructure. It’s how opportunities find you. Speaking invitations. Board seats. Customers. Career opportunities. Partnerships. The chance to inspire someone who needs to see what’s possible.”

Greenwood emphasizes that the inability of others to see one’s work and achievements directly limits their capacity to advocate for that person. People cannot recommend, hire, invite, or champion someone they are not aware of. This lack of visibility creates a significant barrier to advancement and influence.

Practical Steps for Cultivating Visibility

For those who still find self-promotion uncomfortable, Greenwood offers a series of actionable, lower-stakes alternatives to build momentum. She suggests starting by amplifying the successes of others, which can organically build confidence and a habit of recognition.

Actionable Strategies for Visibility

• Celebrate someone else’s accomplishments.
• Write a post highlighting a colleague’s work.
• Nominate an outstanding leader for recognition.
• Facilitate introductions between two valuable connections.
• Publicly acknowledge and praise someone in their absence.

Greenwood frames these actions as the genesis of broader movements, where individuals consciously work to make others visible. This collective effort, she implies, creates a more supportive and interconnected professional ecosystem.

The Power of Amplification

In her post, Greenwood also references a conversation with Melissa Moody and Adam W. Barney about visibility, allyship, and the importance of recognizing extraordinary leaders. This points to a broader community engaging with these critical themes.

“People can’t recommend you if they don’t know you. They can’t hire you, invite you, or champion you if they can’t see you.”

Ultimately, Leslie Greenwood encourages her audience to confront their hesitations and share their own achievements. She concludes by posing a question to her readers, inviting them to identify an accomplishment they’ve been reluctant to share due to concerns about appearing boastful, thus fostering a collective dialogue around overcoming this common hurdle.