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- Steven Claes – The A+ Introvert - Strategic Visibility: Show Your Work Without the Spotlight
Steven Claes – The A+ Introvert - Strategic Visibility: Show Your Work Without the Spotlight
Reveal results, not ego, and boost your profile while keeping your volume low.
Steven Claes
June 21, 2025 • Reading Time: 6 minutes
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Hey there friend!
Yesterday afternoon I slid a one-page memo under my GM’s door.
It outlined how our lack of employee recognition was costing us 31% higher turnover and dragging down team performance by 23%.
Ten minutes later, I heard her voice down the hall:
"Who wrote this? This is exactly what our leadership team needs to see."
I stayed quiet, yes I know, classic introvert move. Help from the shadows, then vanish.
Walking back to my desk, something hit me: staying silent steals your own credit.
That memo solved a real business problem, but nobody knew I had the insights to tackle bigger challenges.
So I created a simple three-step system to share wins without becoming a spotlight hog.
Ready to make your best work impossible to ignore?
Let’s unpack the plan.
Today’s Focus
Show results, not ego
Preview → Pulse → Proof
Quiet wins need gentle light
Download pictures if not visible
Why Strategic Visibility Changes Everything
Managers can’t praise what they never see.
Recognition doesn’t happen through ‘mind-reading.’
It’s cause and effect.
When your work is visible, feedback flows; when it hides, silence follows.
A large Gallup study of more than 4 million workers found that employees who receive regular, specific recognition are 23% more productive and more than twice as likely to say they feel valued at work.
The catch?
Gallup also notes that most praise comes only after results are clear and shared.
In other words, if your wins stay in the shadows, the data shows they often go unrecognized.
Good news for us: You don't need boardroom presentations. Small, strategic signals work just as well as loud announcements.
A two-line update can trigger the same recognition boost that loud talkers chase with five-minute monologues.
The 3-Step “Preview → Pulse → Proof” A+ Plan
Step | What You Do | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
Preview | Share what you're tackling upfront | Sets targets and positions you as problem-solver |
Pulse | One-line progress update halfway through | Shows momentum without oversharing |
Proof | Share the result with one concrete metric | Results speak louder than effort |
Copy-paste script:
Preview: Working on [project], delivering [outcome] by [date]".
Pulse: Early findings shows [insight], finalizing tonight.
Proof: Live now. Impact: [specific results/metric].
Quick Examples
Task | Old Way (Silent) | New Way (Preview-Pulse-Proof) |
|---|---|---|
Team training | Quiet execution, no fanfare | Pulse update + Proof showing skill assessment scores |
New hire survey | Data sits in Drive | Pulse note sparks early feedback |
Fixing payroll bug | Leaders wonder who fixed it | GM sees update, credits you |
Download pictures if not visible
Quiet Fuel of the Week
Resource | What It Is | Why You Need It |
|---|---|---|
Tool | “Daily Win Log” (inspired by Teresa Amabile’s Progress Principle) | 60-second daily log of accomplishment for easy copy-paste into updates |
Read | Fun, quick book on sharing progress in small bites | |
Watch | Practical tactics for humble self-promotion that actually works |
Your 5-Day Challenge
Day 1: Pick one project finishing this week.
Day 2: Send two-line Preview to relevant stakeholders.
Day 3: Mid-week Pulse (one sentence maximum).
Day 5 : Friday proof with specific metric or outcome.
Download pictures if not visible
Coming Next Week
Conflict Calm & Lead Tough Talks With EQ, Not Volume
Master a three-step script to diffuse tension, keep respect high, and turn hard feedback into progress.
Final Thoughts
Quiet work is powerful.
It's where most of the real progress happens; early mornings, late nights, silent problem-solving behind the scenes.
If that quiet work isn’t seen, it often doesn’t count in the eyes of others.
Not because it lacks value, but because people can’t reward what they never knew existed.
Visibility is strategy.
When done right, it invites collaboration, earns trust, and opens doors that silence can’t.
Pick one task this week.
Follow the 3-step loop.
Notice how people respond.
Notice how you feel.
When the quiet work you’ve done is no longer invisible.
You don’t need to be louder.
You just need to be seen
Stay visible. Stay grounded. Stay quietly brilliant.
— Steven
P.S. Know a colleague who lets great work go unnoticed? Forward this. Strategic visibility helps everyone rise.
P.P.S. Want daily insights on (introvert) leadership? Click here to connect with me directly.
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