🔥 Say my name: In Community #87

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“Invite people into rooms they didn’t even know existed.” – Mellody Hobson 

Someone is saying your name. Or not.

Growing up, a lot of us were taught to keep our heads down. Be polite. Don’t take up too much space. Definitely don’t brag.

And maybe that kept us safe in some rooms. But in our careers? That silence can cost us.

Last week, when I wrote about what success feels like when you’re invited in, a question I posed for us all to ask is whether we’re truly invited to contribute and inviting others along.

Today, I want to focus on that last part – inviting others along.

I spent a decent amount of time early in my career doing solid work – quietly. Meeting or beating deadlines. Keeping things moving. Being the go-to guy for what the team needed.

The kind of work that keeps the lights on but doesn’t let them shine on you.

Then one day, something shifted. A senior leader I didn’t interact with much said I should consider joining her department, reporting directly to her.

I didn’t see it coming. But that one moment shifted my career trajectory in ways that continue to make an impact today.

As it turned out, she’d been paying attention from behind the scenes, and she saw something in me that I hadn’t fully tapped. I made the move – it was a promotion, with a big salary bump and more responsibility. And with a lot more eyes – and light shining – on me.

Suddenly, projects started coming my way that helped me showcase the energy I could bring to the work, along with the impact I could make for the company.

People asked for my opinion. I hadn’t changed. But now, someone had spoken my name and lent their credibility and trust to me. Someone with power and influence.

👉🏽 That’s what a sponsor does.

She wasn’t just a mentor to me – she was a sponsor, saying my name in rooms where I wasn’t present. Advocating for me and my success when I wasn’t there to do it myself – or when I may not have had the authority or influence myself.

I’m sharing this because it’s a question I’ve gotten more often recently: How do more of us find folks who’ll say our names in those rooms? And how do we make sure we’re ready when they do?

I keep coming back to this framework: SEE.

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S – Show your work.

Let people see what you’re building. Share wins, openly and regularly. Speak up in meetings. Send the recap email. Don’t just hope someone notices – help them notice.

E – Engage with intention.

Relationships matter. Be curious. Join the cross-team project. Ask for feedback – even if it feels awkward. People can’t vouch for what they don’t understand.

E – Express your goals.

Say what you want. Say it clearly. People can’t open doors if they don’t know where you’re trying to go.

This isn’t about chasing clout or showboating. It’s about alignment. Clarity. Letting the right people in, so they can help you level up.

Because sponsorship doesn’t just happen – it’s built, one honest moment at a time.

Take a sec and ask yourself:

👉🏽 Who sees me? And who could use my voice in a room they’re not yet in?

And once you’ve got them in mind, show them you see them too, and ♻️ forward this onward to let them know you’re thinking of them.

In community,

Fahad