Are you a hidden gem?

First, I want to give you an update on my Tedx Talk! If you've been following along my Tedx Journey, then you know I mentioned that my talk would release in late January(ish). Well, good news and bad news. The VERY good news is that Ted Official picked up my talk to be released as a featured talk with one of their 2025 themes which will increase its visibility. The bad news, its release is delayed and they make you wait patiently without an official publish date. So, practicing my patience and will update you as soon as it's live!

Speaking of visibility, this is something that many of my clients wrestle with in the workplace. One of the most frustratingly common struggles is being a Hidden Gem. When you are a “hidden gem” in the workplace, it might feel like you are working hard. In fact, you might be getting lots of “boxes checked” + dopamine hits from everything you accomplish! However, being a Hidden Gem can keep you stuck in an advancement trap of being overworked and under recognized.  

Many Hidden Gems are bright, diligent and high performing leaders. They are frequently a leadership team's go-to problem solver. They deliver consistently, yet may watch less competent colleagues get promoted. Avoiding self-promotion for fear they will come across as “braggy,” they believe their hard work and results should speak for itself.  

However, despite their impressive work ethic, leadership still sees them as a doers, not deciders.  This is because while their work is high value, they maintain relatively low visibility. 

I get how tricky this can feel. So many leaders fear that advocating for their results or career goals will feel icky-salesman ish. They fear turning into the Office Politician, who appears to be all about the visibility with little concern over the value they truly bring. Equally as undesirable, you don't want to slip into Forgotten Worker status, a place where burnout can lead you to become competent but unremarkable, assuming that as long as you do the basic requirements of your job, your role at the company is secure.

So, how do you artfully toe the line between being a valuable AND visible player so you can be a Trusted Impact Maker? This trusted, influential leader is the kind of leader people listen to when she walks into a room. With a strategic mind and a reputation for delivering results, she doesn't just execute—she shapes the company's direction by influencing high-stakes initiatives, driving innovation, and fostering high-performance teams. 

Trusted Impact Makers realize that hard work alone isn't enough—visibility, influence, and relationships matter just as much. They build relationships with executives, take on high-profile projects, and make sure their contributions are articulated and recognized.

Where are YOU on the visibility - value matrix? Are you where you want to be? (And keep reading to make the shift to impactful leader!)

PUT THIS IDEA INTO ACTION

Whether you're stuck in Hidden Gem status or you're worried that maybe your gift of networking has you leaning toward Office Politician, there is power in awareness of how you perceive yourself, and how others perceive you. 

To help you move closer to Trusted Impact Maker, try asking yourself these questions:

1. (Hidden Gem) How have I advocated for myself or my results in the past 30 days? You can link the value of your efforts to what matters to your organization by remembering that companies typically care about three things: Making/Saving money, reducing risk and leading change. 

This might sound like: I wanted to be sure to articulate how the most recent product launch my team lead beat our revenue targets by 10%. What contributed most to our success was….

2. (Forgotten Worker) Does my organization truly value the work that I'm performing? Along with the advocacy tips above, consider your value. A good way to know if your organization values your team or area of work is to follow the money. An organization will show you what they value by where they spend their money. Ask yourself, is my area of expertise an important investment for the organization? Is our annual budget or strategic attention ever-increasing or decreasing?

3. (Office Politician) In all my networking and discovery, what high-value results and outcomes did I deliver this week? What challenges did I face head on and fix? Political savvy and relationship skills are needed in any workplace, and the best impact makers know how to build strategic networks while also fixing challenges and delivering results. Challenge yourself to take on a project that may require you to dig in or slow down to ensure tasks have been fully completed and communicated.

4. (Trusted Impact Maker) What actionable feedback have I sought out from people who challenge me so I can remain humble and continue to improve? As Trusted Impact Makers, it can be easy for others to put us on a pedestal, thinking that due to our influence we have the right answers. This can be detrimental to the necessary feedback we need to advance as leaders. Also, as leaders advance, they tend to receive less feedback in general. How are you staying in touch with reality?

TRY THIS NEXT: Assess your position on the matrix and reach out to your leader or trusted colleague for additional perspective. Are you assessing yourself accurately? What feedback can you gather to move you closer to the type of leader you want to become?