Quiet Strategies to Increase Visibility and Influence at Work
Stacey Chazin · Episode 36
Increase Visibility & Influence Authentically
Stacey Chazin is a leadership coach, keynote speaker, and founder of I Factor Leadership, specializing in helping introverts break through what she calls the "extrovert ceiling." She reveals that only 2–4% of senior leaders are introverts despite comprising half the population, and argues this gap is driven by a workplace bias that equates extroverted behavior with leadership. The core insight is that introverts can increase their visibility and influence by leveraging written communication, one-on-ones, and preparation rather than trying to out-perform extroverts in the meeting room.
When someone who's more introverted chimes in, people notice — they think, 'Greg hasn't said anything, so this must be important.'
Speaking up doesn't need to be literally speaking with your mouth. Speaking up can be sending an email.
Only 2 to 4 percent of senior leaders are introverts. Folks, this is not because introverts are less capable — research proves the opposite.
Key Stories
- Flash mob at a conference: Stacey agreed to dance on stage in front of 500 people to “be a team player,” spent an hour hiding in the bathroom afterward, and had an epiphany that she needed to stop saying yes to things that drained her and start leaning into who she actually was.
- MBTI aha moment: At a workplace retreat Stacey learned she was an ISTJ and discovered the person who drove her crazy had the exact opposite letters — the realization that different wiring is valid, not inferior, set her on the path to coaching introverts.
Techniques & Frameworks
- Appreciative Coaching: A strengths-based coaching model that begins by identifying “peak experiences” to surface a leader’s “positive core,” then builds goals on those existing strengths rather than fixing weaknesses.
- Team needs round: At the first team meeting, go around the room and ask “What’s one thing you need to show up at your best?” — gives introverts a structured, low-pressure way to set expectations (e.g., agenda in advance, time to think, written responses).
- Phrase signals for meetings: Use openers like “This is a topic I’ve given a lot of thought to — I’d like to share my thoughts” to signal depth, not slowness, before contributing.
- Post-meeting follow-up: If cut off, send an email after the meeting: “We didn’t have time to finish X — here are my additional thoughts.” Extends influence beyond the meeting itself.
- Preparation playbook: Request the agenda in advance, pick the one or two topics where you have real value to add, and prepare one bullet point per topic to take pressure off in the moment.