Terry reached out to Sarah, asking if she knew of any Senior MSL roles.
“I’ve got the best metrics on the team,” she said.
“I work nights, weekends, cover more ground than anyone and still, no promotion. I feel invisible.”
She wasn’t venting. She was ready to leave.
But here’s the hard truth, Sarah knew:
→ If Terry didn’t change how she was perceived, this would follow her.
→ New company. Same frustration.
Because Terry didn’t have a performance problem.
She had a strategic visibility problem.
She believed the numbers would speak for themselves.
But behind closed doors, metrics aren’t the currency.
Reputation is.
The real conversations are about:
→ Who shows up as a partner
→ Who makes complex things easier
→ Who’s trusted to lead the room
And the tough part? You don’t always know when your name was almost mentioned:
→ For the dream project
→ For the next step up
→ For the spotlight opportunity
Someone paused. Hesitated. And moved on.
Not because you weren’t smart
But because of how you showed up when it counted.
In this edition, we’re breaking down:
1️⃣ What strategic visibility actually looks like
2️⃣ Why even high-performing MSLs like Terry get overlooked
3️⃣ Tools to help make sure your name gets mentioned in the rooms that matter
Strategic visibility isn't about airtime or attention. It's about reputation.
It’s being seen as:
→ The problem-solver in the room
→ The one who makes hard things easier
→ The person others trust to elevate the team
That kind of visibility travels. It gets your name whispered in all the right rooms.
What We See Behind the Scenes
We’ve delivered over a dozen Medical Affairs training programs this year. And there’s a pattern we see so often, we plan for it:
There’s usually at least one senior MSL who will resist the process.
Before we even begin, a leader will quietly say: “We’re not sure how to get buy-in from the experienced folks.”
Here’s the reality:
The posture of “I already know this” doesn’t project mastery. It signals to leadership that you’re stuck, closed off, and hard to partner with.
Why This Matters (More Than You Think)
Here’s why leadership teams bring up the difficult MSLs:
Their bonuses are often tied to successful implementation.
If a training fails because people push back, disengage, or derail? It’s not just frustrating. It can cost them their variable comp.
You’re either the person who helps your boss shine and get paid or the one who chips away at credibility, one eye roll at a time.
5 Ways to Boost Your Strategic Visibility
Read this: How You’re Quietly Sabotaging Your Career
Own it: Never Leave Your Career Growth in Someone Else’s Hands
Train with us: Influence Lab Team Training is designed to increase your strategic visibility.
Practice with Mira:
Use our 24/7 AI coach to:
→ Role-play visibility moments
→ Rehearse tough KOL convos
→ Refine how you show up under pressure
Use a Monthly Report template: You need to let your manager know you are doing great work.
TL;DR – How You’re Seen Shapes What You Get
→ Strategic visibility = trusted, chosen, remembered
→ One eye roll can chip away at a lot more than you think
→ Mira, Influence Lab, and our tools can help you shift fast
You’ve worked too hard to be forgettable now.
Make them say your name, and mean it.
Rooting you on in your career,
Patrina, Sarah, Tom & Ralph
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