Work From The Inside Out 287: The Visibility Factor: Why Hard Work Alone Isn’t Enough with Susan Barber
In this episode of the Work from the Inside Out podcast, I’m joined by executive coach and author of The Visibility Factor, Susan Barber. A former Fortune 500 IT Director, Susan helps business leaders who want to leverage their leadership strengths, increase their visibility, and elevate their impact in the workplace. Susan specializes in working with quiet, high-achieving leaders who want to step into the spotlight in authentic ways, so they can be seen, valued, and influential at work.
Susan shares her journey working for 25 years in various leadership roles at Kraft Heinz to entrepreneurship, including the moment she received career-changing feedback that she “wasn’t visible enough.” That feedback, despite years of strong performance, forced her to confront imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and the subtle ways leaders unintentionally hold themselves back.
We discuss what visibility really means, why it’s not about bragging or being the loudest voice in the room, and how leaders, especially introverts, can reframe visibility as service, clarity, and responsibility. Susan also shares insights from her recently published Your Journey to Visibility Workbook and offers practical guidance for people navigating career growth, and professional transitions.
In this week’s Work from the Inside Out podcast, learn more about:
- Why visibility ≠ self-promotion
- How imposter syndrome quietly limits career growth
- The difference between being busy and being visible
- Why introverts often struggle with visibility and how to reframe it
- How feedback (even painful feedback) can become a career-defining gift
- What it really means to “do the job before you get the job”
- Practical ways to show up more intentionally without changing who you are
Learn more about Susan:
- Read: The Visibility Factor: Breakthrough Your Fears, Stand In Your Own Power And Become The Authentic Leader You Were Meant To Be
- Read: Your Journey To Visibility Workbook: A Proven Action Plan to Achieve Career Success
- Listen: The Visibility Factor podcast
- Visit: SusanMBarber.com
- LinkedIn: SusanBarberCoaching
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