Look at “Kate,” an under-recognized director-level employee in a large corporation. Kate was smart and hard-working, but she was stuck in the mid level. Colleagues who had similar responsibilities to Kate had been promoted, but Kate had been left behind.
When Kate discussed her situation with her boss, he told her that she lacked “visibility” in the company. Kate had focused so much on her many tasks and her team that she was unknown outside of her department. Maybe her boss had even nominated her for a promotion, but other members of the senior management team may have questioned her merit because they didn’t know her.
“If Kate is so good, I would have heard of her” is how the thinking goes.
Kate was the invisible woman in her company. So hard working, but stuck in the trenches. To change her situation, Kate immersed herself in something she had always put down, personal branding.