Rethinking What We Notice

Some of your best people might be hiding in plain sight.

In many workplaces, we still treat confidence as a proxy for readiness. The first to speak is often seen as the one with the answers. The most visible are offered the most opportunity. And those who lead quietly, who reflect before responding, or who contribute through depth rather than performance? They are too often missed.

This isn’t just a cultural quirk. It is a structural issue. We have inherited systems that reward volume over substance, presence over patience, and certainty over self-awareness. The result is a pattern that recycles itself, a workplace where visibility becomes mistaken for value.

Over the years, I’ve coached and worked alongside people whose capability was undeniable, but who hesitated to lead because they didn’t match the mould. They were thoughtful, talented, committed, and yet questioned whether they truly belonged. Not because of what they lacked, but because of what the system failed to see.

We don’t lose potential because it disappears. We lose it because we haven’t learned to recognise it.

We don’t just inherit imposter syndrome, we design for it.

Imposter syndrome is often treated as a personal flaw to fix. But much of it is learned. It emerges from repeated signals that tell someone their natural way of contributing doesn’t count unless it looks a certain way.

When organisations celebrate polish more than depth, volume more than care, or decisiveness over discernment, they create cultures where self-doubt quietly grows. These patterns don’t just affect individuals, they shape how capability is seen, recognised, and nurtured across the system.

This is not just about mindset, it is about the structures that teach people what matters.

Toolkit: The Capability Visibility Map

Some of your most capable people might be hiding in plain sight.

This reflection tool is designed to help you see beyond confidence and visibility, and focus more clearly on the real contributions shaping your team.

The Capability Visibility Map is a printable worksheet that includes:

• A simple 2x2 quadrant: Visibility × Contribution

• A guided usage page for team sessions or 1:1 reflection

• Thoughtful prompts to challenge bias and highlight under-recognised strengths

 Download the Capability Visibility Map – Beyond Work

Once you’ve mapped your team, take a moment to reflect:

• Who adds consistent value but goes unrecognised?

• Who holds visibility but is still building substance?

• Are we unintentionally rewarding confidence more than capability?

From there, take one small action.

1. Share public recognition with someone whose impact is often quiet.

2. Invite a less vocal team member to lead a low-stakes session.

3. Rotate visibility opportunities so that value isn’t tied only to volume.

These subtle but intentional shifts build more inclusive, connected cultures — where strength isn’t only seen in the loudest room.

Capability is not always visible. And visibility is not always capability.

In behavioural psychology, we talk about salience. The things we notice most easily tend to feel more important. In the workplace, that often means visible behaviour stands in for deeper contribution. It's not a malicious instinct, but it is an incomplete one.

Organisational psychologists have shown how early cues shape workplace behaviour. If someone’s early efforts were dismissed or ignored, they may learn to hold back. Over time, that holding back becomes a habit, and their capability fades into the background of team life.

This is not just about individual behaviour, it's about the culture we create.

As leaders, we are not only interpreters of performance, we are architects of recognition. The way we structure meetings, share credit, and distribute opportunities sends a powerful message about what is truly valued.

Connected Leadership means noticing the defaults we have inherited and choosing something different. It means expanding our definition of what leadership looks like, and making space for people who lead through presence, thoughtfulness, or quiet consistency.

Who are we building confidence in, and who are we asking to earn it alone?

Think of someone you’ve worked with who was deeply capable, but unsure of their place. Perhaps they hesitated to speak, or downplayed their strengths. Perhaps they had everything they needed, except the belief that they were already enough.

• Now ask yourself, what cues were they receiving?

• Were they given trust early, or asked to prove themselves repeatedly?

• Did the system see their worth before they could express it?

Confidence is not just a trait we encourage, it is a climate we create. People feel more confident when their way of contributing is seen and valued. They feel less like imposters when we stop asking them to perform legitimacy and start meeting them with belief.

This week, be the leader who looks deeper.
Be the person who recognises what others might miss.

If you're building cultures that honour real capability, here are a few tools and resources that go deeper:

• Capability Visibility Map — A printable reflection tool to help surface hidden strengths, challenge bias, and support more inclusive leadership. Includes a usage guide for team sessions and 1:1 conversations. Download from Beyond Work

• The Soft Skills Shortcut Toolkit – A practical, printable guide to seven essential behaviours that shape how we lead, listen, and connect at work. Includes reflection prompts, team-ready tools, and a bonus section on applying soft skills in high-pressure moments. Available now in the BeyondWork store.

• Flow’s Imposter Syndrome Workbook – A beautifully designed, reflective guide created by my friend Kamila and the team at Flow. It is thoughtful, practical, and grounded in insight. A great tool for individuals and teams. Check it out on Flow

• The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman – An exploration of how confidence develops, especially among women, and what organisations can do to support it more intentionally.

• Quiet by Susan Cain – A reminder that power and leadership are not always loud.

• Connected Leadership – Our Beyond Work experience for leading with humanity, accountability, and real connection. Explore it here

• Sage: The Beyond Work Companion – An AI partner to help you reflect, design culture, and lead with intention.

^{(Some book links may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase, at no additional cost to you.)}

If this edition resonated, forward it to someone who leads with quiet strength.
Or join us weekly as we explore how to build more human systems at work.

Want to go deeper, not just read along?

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PS: If this reflection resonated with you, I’d love if you shared it with a colleague who believes leadership should be more human too.

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