How One Leadership Comment Changed My Approach to Visibility
You’re in a meeting.
It’s a quarterly leadership review, and the head of sales says something offhand, something that lands a bit like a ton of bricks.
“I’m still not clear on what marketing’s actually doing.”
Wait, was that a dig? Or a genuine blind spot?
Your stomach tightens. You know the truth. The team’s been sprinting. They’ve supported product launches, streamlined content operations, and brought in that big campaign ahead of schedule. But in that moment, none of it matters.
What’s visible is what’s valued. And right now, all of that work is invisible.
You don’t get defensive. You don’t rush to justify. You take note.
Because that one sentence? It revealed the real problem: marketing had a marketing problem.
That moment changed how I saw my role as a marketing leader forever.
Misunderstanding Isn’t the Problem
When marketers are misunderstood inside an organization, it’s rarely malicious. It’s a visibility gap. The work we do is layered, complex, and often behind the scenes. And when we assume its value is self-evident, we create a vacuum.
If you don’t control what fills the vacuum, it will get filled with assumptions, guesses, or worst of all, indifference.
I’ve seen entire teams lose influence, not because they weren’t delivering, but because they weren’t communicating the right things to the right people at the right time. Their brilliance was buried.
In that meeting, I realized something I wish I’d understood earlier: internal marketing is still marketing. And if we don’t show what moves the business forward, we can’t expect others to connect the dots for us.
The Shift I Made (And Why It Worked)
After that meeting, I made a quiet but significant shift. I stopped assuming my work would speak for itself, and I started speaking for it, strategically.
Not louder or more defensive. Just smarter.
I began shaping briefings around new outcomes, not activity. Instead of recapping every piece of content or campaign, I asked: What did this do for the business?
I stopped flooding leadership with data and started showing patterns.
Think about the work you’re most proud of, the work that moves the needle. Then build your overview around that.
Not everything deserves the spotlight. But something should.
That’s how visibility works. You choose what to make visible.
Why This Is an Advantage for Introverted Marketers
Here’s the overlooked strength of introverts in moments like this: we don’t react, we observe.
That sales comment? I didn’t counter it. I studied it. And what I saw was a pattern, not an attack. I watched how decisions were getting made, who had earned trust, and where signals were getting lost in the noise.
Being misunderstood becomes a strategic filter. It forces clarity. It shows us what matters to others and how we might align without overexplaining or overperforming.
When we choose to clarify, it lands. Because we are aligning. And that builds trust and, over time, credibility.
If You’re Being Misunderstood, Try This
When you’re caught in the cycle of being misunderstood, don’t default to doing more.
Instead, use the 3Rs:
- Relevance
- Recency
- Results
These are the filters I now use when deciding what to highlight in leadership updates.
And remember:
Inexperienced marketers flood the room with details. Strategic marketers show direction.
Don’t let the fear of looking self-promotional keep you from being clear about your marketing’s impact on the business. This isn’t about proving your worth. It’s about removing confusion.
Misunderstandings don’t offend me anymore. They alert me. And they give me a chance to lead.
That same sales leader? He became one of our strongest advocates.
Visibility isn’t vanity. It’s a strategy.
FAQ
What does it mean when marketing is misunderstood internally?
It means marketing’s value and business impact aren’t visible to other departments. This often results in misalignment or undervaluing of marketing’s contributions.
How can marketers increase internal visibility?
By framing updates around business outcomes, not activities. Use relevance, recency, and results as filters when sharing work internally.
Why do introverted marketers struggle with visibility?
Introverts may hesitate to self-promote, but their observational strengths make them well-equipped to align their communication strategically.
What’s the biggest mistake marketers make in leadership updates?
Oversharing details without highlighting impact. Strategic marketers focus on direction, not just activity.
What’s the solution to internal misunderstanding?
Strategic communication. Make your work visible, choose the right signals, and align updates with what leadership cares about most.
