Peak Performers by Tiffany Uman

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Why smart women struggle to get noticed by executives

November 3, 2025

Thank you for joining my Peak Performers newsletter! Every Monday, I share practical tips and scripts to help more women win so you land the roles you want, thrive with confidence at work and grow faster.

You can deliver exceptional results for years and still lack recognition from those who decide your future.

Because while you’re focused on performing, your senior leaders are focused on perception.

If they don’t see you as someone who "gets it", they won’t bet on you no matter how capable you are.

I see too many smart women stay overlooked because they make subtle, but costly, mistakes when engaging with their executives:
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→ They hesitate to reach out, afraid of seeming self-serving.
→ They only connect when they need something.
→ They hold back in sharing their POV worried they'll say the wrong thing.
→ Or they talk about their work in ways that don’t tie back to what their leaders actually care about.

These moments diminish your credibility, visibility, and trust, which are key factors that influence your promotion track. So let's fix that.
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This is exactly what I helped one of my clients with recently. We practiced her executive presentation together to ensure she was confident in both her delivery and connecting her messages back to the biggest problems she was solving for. Through this, she got the immediate buy-in she was looking for.

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Here’s how to get noticed by senior leaders the right way, so they start seeing you as someone to advocate for, not just someone who delivers.

3 ways to get the recognition you deserve from executives

1. Own your value and engage with confidence

Most women don’t struggle to access senior leaders, but they struggle to speak up once they do.

Not because they lack ability, but because they doubt their value. Any of this sound familiar?
"I don’t want to waste their time."
"I don’t know if my input matters."
"I’m not senior enough to speak yet."

If you’re in the room, you belong in the conversation. Your executives don’t expect perfection. They respect perspective and you need to make yours known. So here's a few easy strategies you can use right now:

→ Shift your mindset from seeking approval to offering perspective: Never minimize the insights you bring. For you, it may feel ordinary because you're in the thick of it day-to-day, but for your senior leaders, it could be hyper relevant information they need to know.

→ Recognize the value of fresh perspectives: Senior leaders make high-stakes decisions, but they often rely on you for insights from the ground. After all, you're the closest person to your area of the business. Your experience, observations, and challenges are valuable inputs they need to make the most informed decisions together.

→ Ask for their input, not their validation: Instead of approaching leaders as if you need permission to contribute, frame your questions as collaborative discussions.

Those who stand out aren’t necessarily the loudest in the room. They’re the ones who show up with conviction, contribute with clarity, and engage with executives as thought partners.

[Check out my LinkedIn Learning course on Storytelling to Influence Leadership and Decision Makers]

2. Add value before you ask for visibility

The fastest way to get on the radar of your execs isn’t by asking for mentorship. It’s by adding value before you ever ask for anything.
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Executives notice those who make their jobs easier, not heavier. They remember those who bring clarity, context, and momentum. Here’s how to do it in small but powerful ways:

→ Share insights that matter, not just data: Don’t simply forward an article or deck on its own. Translate what it means for the business and provide key insights to allow for meaningful decisions.

→ Support what they're already driving: If an exec is championing a big initiative, show you understand it, and help move it forward. Small, thoughtful follow-ups like this show you’re thinking beyond your role and already operating at the next level.

This was a key opportunity I supported one of my new clients with last week. She volunteered to take on a lead role for a leadership conference and bring her unique value to this important initiative. In doing so, it grew her visibility and recognition with key senior leaders she wasn't normally exposed to. Plus, it's now positioned her even better for her internal promotion track.

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→ Recognize impact with precision: Executives rarely hear what they’re doing right so genuine acknowledgment goes a long way. Be specific and authentic as they can easily tell the difference between flattery and feedback grounded in impact.

Or if they shared advice with you, follow-up a week later with:

3. Build rapport that grows trust

Hard work alone doesn't guarantee you'll get noticed. Those who show up in the right rooms with clarity, composure, and intention get more recognition.

Here’s how to build 1:1 relationships with your senior leaders that fuel more trust.

→ Speak up with purpose in leadership settings: Silence signals disengagement, even when it comes from humility. Use your voice to show strategic thinking and proactivity.

Or reflect on a key takeaway to show you’re bringing it all together:

→ Join selective projects that expand your reach: Cross-functional visibility is executive visibility. When you contribute beyond your day-to-day work, leaders see you as someone they can trust to take on bigger focuses. Don't just say yes to anything. Choose the projects that compliment your current skillset, expose you to newer areas in the business, and allow for direct visibility and exposure with senior leaders.

→ Follow up like a leader, not a doer: One conversation alone doesn’t build stronger relationships. Consistent follow-ups do, especially when paired with genuine interest and curiosity.

You don’t need to chase senior leaders to get noticed. But you do need to think, speak, and show up like someone who already belongs in their circle.

You've got this!

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This week’s mission: Use my 3 steps below to gain the recognition you deserve from your execs.

• Spot your invisibility moments. Notice 1 meeting or interaction this week where you stayed quiet even though you had a valuable perspective to add. Maybe you didn’t speak up in front of leadership, hesitated to follow up after a presentation, or talked yourself out of sharing an observation that could have added insight. Write down what stopped you. ​
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• Make 1 micro-connection. Choose a small but strategic action that puts you on a leader’s radar in a genuine way. For example:
  → Share an insight that ties your work to a company priority.
  → Send a quick note to a senior leader acknowledging something they said that resonated.
  → Ask a thoughtful, forward-looking question in your next team or town hall.
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• Reinforce the relationship. After your interaction, follow up once with intention. Reference what they shared, what you learned, or how you acted on it. For example: "I applied your feedback from Monday’s meeting, and it helped us simplify the rollout process. Thanks again for the perspective."

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