More Impact, More Easily

3System three: Visibility

Your reputation is your number‐one asset. Yet, according to our research at BoldHR, 91 per cent of B‐Suite Leaders fail to proactively manage that reputation. Many B‐Suite Leaders find the concept of self‐promotion distasteful. Perhaps you feel the same. You might be one of many leaders who hear ‘personal brand’ and think ‘Kardashians’, and shudder. Almost every leader I have worked with has said until they get what visibility is all about, they hate it. I felt the same. And yet, when you choose a leadership role, you choose to be visible. And if you think about it, all your great work is largely worthless if no‐one knows about it.

So 91 per cent of us are wrong. Visible is valuable.

BoldHR's 2024 B‐Suite Benchmarks proved that four competencies help middle managers to level up their impact, no matter where they are at on the ladder of impact. They are:

• Motivate and engage: Your ability to encourage and inspire individuals to take action.
• Manage up: Your ability to strategically influence power, politics and large audiences.
• Manage reputation: Your ability to project your value as a leader and to lead with integrity.
• Cope: Your ability to manage pressure and remain resilient.

Three out of four of these competencies relate to your willingness and ability to influence. If you want more impact, there's no escaping it — you will need to manage your reputation.

That's how valuable visibility is. And, no — you do not have to share what you ate for breakfast ...