Are you waiting for senior leadership to notice you?

Earlier today, I had an interesting discussion about leadership and corporate culture. We were discussing something that almost everyone faces at some point in their career. The desire to be seen, praised and lifted up by senior leadership. I’ve been on both sides.

When you are grinding away, moving fast, trying to “climb the ladder”, it’s natural to want the nod of approval from the top. We want to know our work matters.

Here is what we often forget. If you aren’t being showered with praise from senior leaders, it doesn’t mean you aren’t seen, and it doesn’t mean you aren’t doing good work.

The reality is something simple. They are just incredibly busy.

I remember early in my career wanting the praise. I was hustling, putting in the hours, waiting for that gold star from executives.

A mentor I’ve talked and written a lot about, gave me another piece of advice when I raised it with him.

“If your expectation is that they will say thank you, or congratulate you for doing your job, you will constantly be disappointed.”

I stopped seeking approval at that moment. It’s easy to suffer from tunnel vision when you only see the 10-12 hour days. What you miss is the view from senior leadership.

·      Leaders are often jumping from one crisis to the next.

·      Silence can indicate trust. In fast-moving companies, if you aren’t being micromanaged or questioned, it’s a sign of trust.

·      A leader often has 50, 100 or more people in a division. It’s impossible to provide individualized validation, even if they want to.

Now, there is a big difference between wanting to be noticed and being obsessed with it. If being noticed takes over, you will spin out of control quickly. You give away your power to somebody who isn’t even thinking about it.

What did I do to stop seeking that approval?

I let data, client retention client wins and my work become my validation.

I valued the feedback of peers and direct managers more. They were the ones in the trenches with me anyways.

It’s human nature, we want to be noticed. But the losing strategy is relying on executive praise to fuel your career. Do the work and show the results. If you are moving along in your career, and the room is quiet, trust that you are being seen, and rewarded.