Get noticed: Strategies for Career Visibility

How to Get Noticed by Senior Leaders and Build Your Career Visibility

If you’re serious about becoming a global leader, this is critical. People ask me: “How can I get noticed by senior leaders?” It’s a good question. Not only for those seeking their next promotion, but for anyone looking to develop their leadership, communication skills and long-term career impact.

Sometimes visibility doesn’t lead to immediate results. Instead, it’s about sowing the seeds today that will enable your growth and future success as a leader. And if you’re intentional about it, it’s an investment that pays off.

Whether you’re leading a team yet or not, you already have the opportunity to show up and be seen as a leader.

Start With Your Leadership Mindset

Before you do anything else, you need to decide: Am I a leader now?

Many people wait for the title. But real leadership doesn’t come from a job title, it comes from how you show up. Even if you’re early in your career, you’re already leading yourself, your projects, and likely others around you in informal ways.

If you want to grow into a global leadership role, your mindset needs to shift first. You need to own the fact that you are a leader now. Your communication skills, your confidence and your consistency all flow from this core belief.

Flag What You Want, Early and Often

Visibility begins with clarity. If you want a leadership role, talk about it. Too often, people only bring up their career development goals during formal performance review cycles, but that’s not enough.

Instead, make it a part of your regular conversations with your line manager. Share what you’re working on, ask for feedback, and articulate your ambitions clearly. Let them know you’re serious, not only when the HR calendar says it’s the time to talk about it.

This ongoing dialogue signals your intent, your drive and your readiness for growth.

Seek Out Mentorship and Sponsorship

Mentorship is one of the most valuable ways to develop your leadership thinking. Find someone who is further ahead, ideally at a senior level, outside your direct reporting line, who can offer a fresh perspective on leadership and career development in your organisation.

When mentors get to know you and see your potential, they often become sponsors, advocating for you during talent conversations and opening doors you didn’t even know existed.

If an internal mentor isn’t available, look externally. And if you’re still unsure where to start, I mentor individuals on their leadership journey too, so reach out if this resonates.

Go on ‘Research Missions’

This is a practical one. A ‘research mission’ is simply a short, informal conversation with someone inside or outside your organisation to learn from their experience.

Ask them about their career path, what they’ve learnt, and what advice they would give. Aim for a mix of people, those at your level, and those one or two levels above.

These coffee chats give you a broader understanding of leadership pathways and help you develop the perspectives you’ll need for global leadership.

Set a goal for yourself, perhaps one conversation a month, and stay consistent. It’s a small habit that builds big results.

Build Your Network Intentionally

Networking is not only a tick-box activity. It’s about getting to know people outside your immediate team, building trust and showing up in spaces where leaders are present.

Look for internal groups that align with your interests, whether that’s women in leadership, sustainability, or inclusion. And if something doesn’t exist, why not create it? That’s a powerful act of leadership in itself.

Externally, attend industry events, panels or conferences. Senior leaders are often there too, and these moments of informal proximity can help you build meaningful connections.

Share Your Thought Leadership

You already have unique knowledge and insight in your area, even if others do similar roles. The difference lies in how you think, how you solve problems and the experiences that have shaped you.

Thought leadership is about sharing that perspective. Whether it’s contributing in team meetings, leading internal workshops or speaking at events, find your voice and use it.

Start small, and then if you’re aiming for senior, global leadership roles, you can build up to become visible on bigger stages in time. If speaking is something you’d like to develop, I help clients prepare for panels, presentations and conferences, so do get in touch.

Reflection Questions

To make this practical, I encourage you to reflect:

• Where am you already showing up as a leader, even without the title?
• Who could you speak to this month for a ‘research mission’?
• Which internal or external networks can you join, or create?

Your Next Steps

This work takes time, but that’s the point. The earlier you start, the sooner you’ll start seeing the results.

Here’s your challenge: Choose one action you’ll take today to get noticed by your senior leaders. Commit to a frequency and if you want to share your commitment, message me on LinkedIn, I’ll keep you accountable and cheer you on.

Don’t forget to download your free leadership resource, designed to go deeper on these topics that accompany the podcast:
https://www.culturecuppa.com/leader