"I think all of us have admitted we did not know this was part of our job when we started, and probably because we didn't see a lot of women doing it," she says. "If you see somebody getting that visibility, rather than, at times, i'll speak for myself judging right, seek out if that's what i want." She adds: "It's easy to know you're supposed to be visible if people who look and sound and act like you are already visible".
There are lots of ways to get visibility at work: give a presentation, speak up in a meeting, have lunch with a senior leader. When done well, in front of people with influence, these actions can lead to a promotion, a raise, or more resources for your team. But research shows there are sound reasons women sometimes decide to not be more visible and instead quietly push forward projects or stay behind the scenes.
In this live episode, recorded at Sixth & I in Washington, DC, we get advice from Muriel Maignan Wilkins on navigating the spotlight, offer managers tips on making visibility easier for women, and take questions from the audience.
Our HBR reading list:
- Own the Room: Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence, by Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins
- “Why Women Stay Out of the Spotlight at Work,” by Priya Fielding-Singh, Devon Magliozzi, and Swethaa Ballakrishnen
- “To Succeed in Tech, Women Need More Visibility,” by Shelley Correll and Lori Mackenzie
- “The Problem of Visibility for Women in Engineering, and How They Manage It,” by Dulini Fernando, Laurie Cohen, and Joanne Duberley
Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org
Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City In Motion,” provided by Audio Network.