A lot of people have told me, “Tania, I’m just too introverted to put myself out there.”  I get it – being perceived and opening yourself up to potential criticism or judgment – just being seen can be scary. Maybe you’re okay with doing really good work, behind the scenes. You don’t want to feel like you’re promoting yourself, bragging, or grandstanding. I really do get it. 

But when I think about what introversion is: which I’d say it’s thriving and regenerating from time spent alone or in 1:1 conversations where we feel seen and understood –  I actually think visibility is a perfect fit for our tendencies. Because actively putting out thought leadership content includes a lot of time reflecting, exploring our inner thoughts and tying back experiences back to our “why”, and building authentic resonance with a small community – not necessarily trying to go viral or being the loudest in the room, but creating safe, nourishing relationships – even if they’re just online. 

In this episode, I’m going to share ways to shift your mindset if you feel like your introversion is a barrier to getting visible, plus action steps to show up in a way that feels authentic and good to you.

Highlights from the podcast episode: 

Why does executive visibility matter?

You may relate to this feeling of being an undercover expert. You’re a specialist in your field, but the amount of recognition and influence you have maybe doesn’t match your level of earned accolades, experience, wisdom, etc.  

It matters because your visibility, and showing up in spaces where the people you want to influence hang out, directly impacts your ability to create change alongside them. Executive visibility positions you as a go-to, credible voice, for when conference planners and organizations are looking for speakers about the very thing it is you do. It keeps you consistently top-of-mind, so when your ideal client or referral partner needs what it is you do, you’re the first one they think of. It shines light back onto your organization, as people get their year-end appeal letters or annual reports and thinks oh hey, that’s where [fill in your name here] works, I should pay attention to this.

It creates purpose-driven impact for the organization

So visibility is not really about recognition for recognition’s sake, or show-boating, it’s about having a stronger, more trusted voice to build awareness around your work and have a larger impact. I want you to reframe what you think about visibility as purpose-driven, not performative. 

When you focus on adding value by sharing something you recently learned, or lifting up a client or grantee’s success, or sharing a story about a company win, it becomes less about self-promotion. You’re sharing your story or experience about something, yes, but it’s not really about you, it’s about the thing – the mission, the organization, the movement you’re trying to get more people enrolled into. Think of it this way: If you aren’t sharing the cool stuff you’re working on, you’re doing a disservice to the people who would benefit from getting involved in whatever way they feel good about. 

It creates motivation for those around you

Another thing to reflect on is: Who benefits from your silence/invisibility/best-kept-secretness?  Who or what will continue to fester and grow stronger if you – and people like you – don’t share your opinions and expertise? Thinking of that underlying force – whatever it is – maybe it’s a specific example of corporate greed, maybe it’s personifying a thing like addiction – what is that thing that flourishes if you’re not sharing about your work in the world. And I also want to say here, this work is not about being a savior. Because as you share, you become one voice in a mosaic of the community you’re building. You sharing your best thinking helps others begin to do the same.  

It creates personal relationships within your social network

Finally, this reframe around, thinking that getting visible on LinkedIn is akin to getting up on a podium and talking to a giant room of people. But instead of thinking of it like you’re speaking to all 500, 5,000, or 15,000 of your followers, think of it as if you’re having a one-on-one conversation with each of them, individually. That’s what good communication should feel like, anyway.  

It creates wide visibility for introverted personalities

And actually one more reframe, which I’ve realized over the last couple years as in-person events are on the rise, is that visibility helps you immediately be recognized by your people. So for example, imagine you’re at a conference and you enter the welcome reception. There’s hundreds of people there, milling about, already in conversation. Introvert’s nightmare, right? Well, because I have been consistently getting visible on LinkedIn and other spaces, it has created the conditions so that usually, at least one person is like oh – I know you, I saw you at this webinar or oh I listen to your podcast or follow you on LinkedIn. It just creates connection before you even walk into the room which makes these in-person gatherings so much easier for us introverts.  

Action steps to increase your executive visibility in an authentic way

Get clear on your why.

• What’s your purpose for getting more visible? Are you trying to stay top of mind with your target audience? Building trust in advance of a large campaign on your horizon? Are you trying to become self-sustaining with more funding coming in? Do you want to try and replicate your work and train others on your model? Are you trying to break stigma around something? Do you want to write a book or give a TED Talk? Are you trying to turn your audience into a community? 
• Maybe pick 2 – 3 goals. In the last episode of this podcast, I shared 10 strategic use cases for LinkedIn. I didn’t share that so you can do all 10, I want you to be selective, so you can focus.  
• And, consider both qualitative and quantitative goals, and both personal and business goals. No goal is better than the other, it’s just about what bring you excitement and will keep you going. 

Think of how you can build your brand in a way that feels good to you. 

• Create content you’re comfortable with. If you feel more at home with written content vs. videos or live calls, focus on creating thoughtful LinkedIn articles or text posts to get comfortable.  
• Take yourself on an Artist’s Date, where you can batch some of your stories at once. Go and bring your laptop to a cute café, or bring a notebook and a picnic to a park. Get out from behind your computer screen and give yourself the space to really think, and let your stories emerge. 
• Not every post has to be lengthy. Short, clear messages can often be more powerful than a long post. Plus, I’m all about Being Lazy on LinkedIn which just means focus on one high-quality post per week – and maybe even every other week — rather than daily posts to build a consistent, low-pressure presence.
• Overly personal anecdotes, while they do tend to get lots of engagement, can feel uncomfortable right out of the gate. You can start sharing topics like lessons you’ve recently learned and gradually add personal touches over time.
• Be you.  Sometimes, people might think that they have to play a character or be someone they’re not but hey, if you don’t show up as yourself, how will the people who are looking for you find you?
• Post about the topics you genuinely enjoy. Think about the conversations you have in real life, the podcasts you listen to, or the articles you read. Expand on the discussions you’re already having.  
• Consider creating a little LinkedIn cheerleading squad. These are people who always lift you up – maybe they’re coworkers or colleagues who also work in your space. Let them know privately you’re going to be starting to share more on LinkedIn, and ask them if they’d consider supporting your content with a like or a comment. That way, you know you’ve got a group of people who’ve got your back.  
• Everything I’ve shared so far is about LinkedIn content. But there are also things you can do on LinkedIn to build your brand that don’t require you to share your thoughts publicly. You can also engage with people by leaving thoughtful comments and sending direct messages. This might feel more conversational and 1:1, and less like you have less of a spotlight on you. Your introvert skills of listening and reflecting are golden here. Responding to other people’s posts can also build visibility and help you show up on people’s feeds in a way that feels less draining. You may also be in spaces like meetings, or conferences where you feel uncomfortable raising your hand to ask a question in front of this huge room, so remember your question – and then send the speaker that same question via LinkedIn. It’s a great way to build relationship and connection without having to do it in front of everybody else. 
• Regardless of if you’re going to be sharing content or simply building your relationships behind the scenes, consider creating routines and setting boundaries. Stick a recurring time on your calendar each week to spend on LinkedIn. Maybe during that time, you’re sharing a thoughtful reflection, engaging with the people who engaged in your last post, and leaving a few thoughtful comments on posts that are important to you. Beyond that, you can feel free to turn off notifications or limit the amount of time you spend on LinkedIn – that’s what I love so much about this platform, is that you don’t always have to be on it. People will be there when you log back in.  

Celebrate small wins.

• Don’t be hard on yourself for not being visible enough or not getting enough engagement at the start. We all start somewhere. Celebrate each small interaction or post as a step toward visibility.
• And don’t get tripped up on the quantitative metrics like engagement, impressions, follower count – that doesn’t matter as much as the qualitative experience your audience is having. I always say trust-building is invisible. Maybe people aren’t liking your post, but they’re taking a screenshot, or forwarding it to a friend, or it’s planting a seed in their mind. I talk a lot more about this in another podcast episode called Tracking Resonance Instead of Reach, and that would be a great one to listen to next. I’ll link it in the show notes. 

Yes, my friend, you can build a strong network and build your visibility from the comfort of your own home. If this episode resonated with you, send me a message on LinkedIn. Let’s chat!

Other helpful episodes:

Growing Your Visibility on LinkedIn: A Case Study with Sophie Pyne, LCSW

Four Barriers to Visibility on LinkedIn (and How to Overcome them)

The Visibility Mindset for AAPI Leaders with Bernice Chao and Jessalin Lam

Connect with Tania Bhattacharyya:

LinkedIn: Tania Bhattacharyya