Close the Perception Gap

The perception gap isn't about self-promotion or politics. It's about communication clarity. When you do great work silently, you force others to guess your value — and most will guess conservatively, not because they undervalue you, but because they're busy.

The first step is finding out what people actually think — which takes courage, because the answer might surprise you. Ask 3-5 trusted colleagues this question: "What would you say are my top strengths, and one area for growth?"