If Your Title Disappeared, What Would Still Hold?

Hi Leader,

If you watched the video above, you heard me say something that often makes leaders uncomfortable:

Visibility is not power.
Influence is.

That statement sounds simple. Almost obvious.

And yet, most leadership breakdowns I see come from confusing the two.

When I became the first Black person, in the U.S., to lead a private aviation, I understood the visibility that came with the role. Titles bring attention. Milestones bring headlines. Being “first” brings recognition.

As a woman, I was acutely aware of that visibility. I knew I would be watched more closely, interpreted more quickly, and remembered not just for what I did, but how I did it.

What I did not understand yet was how much visibility would change the kind of leadership required of me.

Because visibility does not automatically create influence.

Sometimes, it actually works against it.

That’s where we need to slow down, because this is the “a-ha” moment most leaders miss.