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Steven Claes – The A+ Introvert - 5 Minutes to Get Noticed (Without Speaking Up)

Steven Claes – The A+ Introvert - 5 Minutes to Get Noticed (Without Speaking Up)

Simple, weekly habits to be seen and valued (no shouting required)

Steven Claes
September 06, 2025 • Reading Time: 7 minutes

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Hey there friend!

You know that feeling when someone asks "Any questions?" in a meeting and you have three good ones, but by the time you work up the nerve to speak, they've already moved on?

That happened to me last Tuesday.

I'd spent two hours the night before preparing thoughtful feedback on our new process.

Had it all organised in my head.

Even practiced how I'd phrase it.

But when the moment came, my colleague jumped in first with his rapid-fire thoughts.

Then another.

The meeting ended.

My insights stayed locked in my head.

Walking back to my desk, I felt that familiar frustration.

Not at them, oh no, they were just being themselves.

At the system that rewards whoever speaks fastest, not best.

That's when it hit me: I was playing by extrovert rules in an introvert game.

Today’s Focus

A light-touch system to make quiet work visible
One page that captures wins without fluff
Scripts to share updates in one line

A quote by Brene Brown on a light background.

Download images if not visible

📊 THE DATA ON QUIET VOICES

New research from Harvard Business Review:

40% of executives identify as introverts
But only 2% of Fortune 500 CEOs are introverted
The gap? Visibility during the promotion process (Link)

Translation: Being good at your job isn't enough. Being seen being good at your job is what matters. Good work goes unseen when it stays on your desk.

People who talk more get tagged as "leader-like," and quiet voices fade (unless we change the format).

Write it down.
Sharing outcomes in writing levels the field and travels farther than a meeting. (Link)

Visibility is information.
Decisions improve when we use outcome, evidence, impact, not adjectives.

That's the heart of evidence-based management. (Link)

Leaders route attention and resources to what they can see.

When outcomes and proof are documented, help finds the right work faster.

Less noise. More credit. Better decisions.

🎯 THE S.E.E. SYSTEM (3 Steps, 5 Minutes)

This simple framework works because it plays to introvert strengths: preparation, depth, and thoughtful communication.

When the right people see the right facts, your team gets resources, blockers get cleared, and you stop re-explaining the same win six times.

Step	What to Do	Template/Example
_{S — Select Your Win}	_{Pick ONE outcome from this week. Not everything. Just your best result.}	^{"Reduced [process] time from X to Y, saving [team] Z hours weekly."}
_{E — Evidence It}	^{Add proof. Link, screenshot, metric, testimonial » something concrete.}	_{"Dashboard link: [URL] showing 34% improvement over baseline."}
_{E — Echo Forward}	_{State what's next and when you'll update.}	^{"Next: Implementing this across [other teams] by [date]. Will update in two weeks."}

🔧 COPY-PASTE TEMPLATES

Weekly Update (to manager):
"This week: [specific outcome]. Evidence: [metric/link]. Impact: [who benefits]. Next: [action] by [date]."

Project Summary:
"Completed: [what] → [result]. Proof: [link]. Status: [next step with timeline]."

Credit Others:
"Quiet win from [colleague]: [their work] → [impact]. Saved us [time/cost/headache]."

An infographic explaining the SEE system

Download images if not visible

📚 INTROVERT FUEL

Resource	What It Is	Why You Need It
📱 Tool	^{Loom (free)}^{- Record 2-min screen walkthrough}⁽^Link⁾	_{Show once, answer ten times.}
📖 Read	^{Show Your Work!}^{— Austin Kleon}⁽^Link⁾	_{Make progress visible without posturing}
🎥 Watch	^{"Making Work Visible"}^{- Dominica DeGrandis}⁽*^Link*⁾	_{Surface work with facts, not noise}_.

Resource

What It Is

Why You Need It

📱 Tool

^{Loom (free)}^{- Record 2-min screen walkthrough}⁽^Link⁾

_{Show once, answer ten times.}

📖 Read

^{Show Your Work!}^{— Austin Kleon}⁽^Link⁾

_{Make progress visible without posturing}

🎥 Watch

^{"Making Work Visible"}^{- Dominica DeGrandis}⁽^Link⁾

_{Surface work with facts, not noise}_.

🚀 5-DAY CHALLENGE

Monday: Create your "Wins" doc (3 from last week)
Tuesday: Record one 2-min Loom walkthrough
Wednesday: Send your first S.E.E. update
Thursday: Add one metric link to your win
Friday: Ship weekly summary (under 50 words)

Download images if not visible

💡 NEXT WEEK PREVIEW

"The 5 Phrases That Protect Introvert Energy"
Boundary scripts that sound helpful, not difficult.

🤝 FINAL THOUGHT

Visibility isn't about volume.

It's about putting the right facts in the right place.

Some homework: What's ONE win you'll surface this Friday?

Reply with your S.E.E. summary. I read every single response (even if it takes me a few days).

Quietly rooting for you,

— Steven

P.S. Know someone whose great work goes unnoticed? Forward this. They'll thank you later.

P.P.S. Want more introvert-friendly leadership strategies? Click here to connect with me directly.

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