Lorraine K. Lee | Leadership, Presence, & Communication

If someone asked you right now why you deserve the promotion… could you answer without downplaying yourself? Most people can’t. Comment INFLUENCE and I’ll send you my free 5-day course: From Invisible to Influential.

Stop being the best kept secret at work. Follow @lorraineklee for real strategies to get seen, heard, and promoted 😉

Why being the office “fixer” is hurting your promotion. Comment COURSE and I’ll send you my free 5-day system to go from invisible to influential.

🤫 Here are the unspoken rules of getting promoted (that no one in corporate actually tells you): ✅ Being great at your job is the baseline, not the differentiator: Doing great work and being seen as someone doing great work are two completely different skills. ✅ Make your thinking visible: Most people describe what they're doing, not why it matters. ✅ You have to ask for what you want: Most high performers assume their manager knows they're ready for more, and sometimes managers assume silence means contentment. Comment COURSE and I'll send you my free 5-day email course, From Invisible to Influential — the system for making your value impossible to ignore. 🔖 Save this if you're ready to stop being the best-kept secret in your company.

My newsletter Career Bites was named a The Webby Awards Honoree. 🏆 🥳 (the @thewebbyawards are hailed as “the Oscars of the Internet!”) When I started this newsletter, I wasn't sure anyone would read it. I just knew I had something to say about careers – and I wanted to help people stop being the best-kept secret at work, one practical tip at a time. Week after week, I kept showing up, even when no one replied. Slowly but surely, Career Bites grew. Each issue delivers actionable career tips in 3 minutes or less – the kind of advice I wish I'd had earlier in my career. A few weeks ago, this email landed in my inbox: "𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙒𝙚𝙗𝙗𝙮 𝙃𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝟯𝟬𝙩𝙝 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙒𝙚𝙗𝙗𝙮 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨." Top 25% of all entries, in the 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 – 𝘕𝘦𝘸𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 category. My face getting that email 😯 While my favorite part of writing Career Bites is the responses from readers each week, this recognition is pretty special too! To everyone who opens Career Bites, shares it with a friend, or sends me a note saying it helped – thank you. This recognition belongs to you too. 💙 💌 See Career Bites on the Webby Awards page! 👉🏻 If you haven't subscribed to Career Bites yet, check it out through the link in my bio! PS. What's one newsletter that's made a real difference in your career? Drop it below – I'm always looking for good reads. 👇🏻

Stop trying to do more. Start making sure the right people actually see what you're already doing. 👀 After getting laid off, I stopped trying to work harder and started focusing on three things instead: 1. I got visible in small moments, not just big ones. Presence isn't built on the big stage. It's built in meetings, emails, Slack messages, and casual conversations — the everyday moments most people treat as filler. 2. I made my work impossible to miss. I stopped assuming my results would speak for themselves and started connecting my work to outcomes people actually cared about. 3. I stopped waiting until I felt "ready" to take up space. Confidence is a muscle. I started building it in low-stakes moments so I'd have it when the high-stakes ones came. None of this required me to become someone I'm not. I'm still an introvert. I just stopped being invisible. That's the method. Comment VISIBLE and I'll send you my free 5-day email course to communicate your value, get visible to decision-makers, and position yourself for the next level in just 20 minutes a day, even if you’re not sure what makes you stand out, you hate self-promotion, and you’ve been the best-kept secret for too long.

Someone is Googling you right now. What are they finding? 👀 My friend @knoxknox is making sure you’ll be prepared the next time they do. He's put all of the answers into his new book, Validated: Add Value. Build Trust. Be Seen. 📘 (and I was honored to provide a blurb on the back, too!) I met Knox on LinkedIn, and we connected over our shared passion for making sure professionals are intentional about their digital presence. Because it isn't optional anymore. It's your first impression – before you ever get the chance to make one in person. Knox has advised companies like Dell, Nike, and AT&T on building credibility online. This book distills 30 years of that work into frameworks you can actually use – starting today. If you want to be found, trusted, and chosen before you're even in the room, this is the book. 💙 Grab your copy of Validated through the link in my bio! PS. Google your own name right now. Are you happy with what comes up? 👇🏻

Here are 4 ways introverts show quiet confidence: 1️⃣ They listen deeply They pay attention, ask thoughtful questions, and make people feel heard. 2️⃣ They choose their words carefully They’re comfortable with silence. When they speak, it’s intentional, and people lean in. 3️⃣ They stay grounded No competing for attention. Their actions, ideas, and results do the talking. 4️⃣They don’t rush to jump in They observe first, then contribute with intention. Quiet confidence is real. Quiet confidence is steady. Quiet confidence is impact. Introverts don’t need to become extroverts to make an impact. Their strengths often speak louder than words. Do you think being quiet is an advantage in today’s workplace? 👇

Unforgettable Presence turns 1 today! 🎂📘 A year ago, I launched something I’d been working on for years. I had no idea what would happen next. – Would anyone read it? – Would it resonate? – Would it quietly disappear into the endless sea of books? What actually happened: 📘 @amazon editorial picked it as a Must-Read 📘 Conversations that made me cry (happy tears) 📘 Messages from people around the world telling me they highlighted entire chapters 📘 Won the International Impact Book Award for Leadership Skills Development 🏆 📘 Placed 2nd at The BookFest Awards for Business Leadership & Professional Growth 📘 Featured in @forbes , @cnbc , @fastcompany @cnn , @entrepreneur , @nextbigideaclub , and more 📘 Thousands of readers shared how it helped them speak up, get promoted, and finally feel seen at work This whole experience taught me something I didn’t expect: The scariest part isn’t putting your ideas out there. It’s trusting that they’ll find the people who need them. They did. And that’s because of YOU. 💙 To everyone who read it, shared it, gifted it, or sent me a note about what it meant to you – thank you. You made this year unforgettable. So to celebrate, I’M GIFTING A SIGNED COPY! 📘 Just comment “UNFORGETTABLE” below, and I’ll pick one person to send it to. 🎉

These habits matter more than talent (and almost no one talks about them). ⬇️ I’ve seen brilliant people get passed over and “average” performers climb fast. The difference comes down to these 5 habits: ✔️ Reply, even if you don’t have the answer. “Got it — I’ll get back to you by [day].” ✔️ Be where you said you’d be — on time. 1:1, team meeting, whatever it is: show up ready. ✔️ Set clear expectations. “I’ll get this to you by Thursday.” ✔️ Update your teammates. If something’s delayed, flag it early. No surprises. ✔️ Take ownership when things go sideways. Own it. Fix it. Move forward. Talent gets you in the room. Reliability keeps you there.

Want to be taken more seriously at work? Do these 5 things. 1️⃣Give leaders useful information ❌ “I finished the Q3 onboarding redesign! Results are looking great so far.” ✅ “The Q3 onboarding redesign is complete! Early data shows a 17% reduction in time-to-ramp, which puts us ahead of our target for next quarter.” 2️⃣ Share updates regularly ❌ Wait for your quarterly or yearly review ✅ Share daily or weekly progress updates + why it mattered + next steps 3️⃣ Make yourself visible ❌ Work hard and hope someone notices ✅ Be strategic about how + where you’re seen by your manager 4️⃣ Build sponsorship, not just mentorship ❌ Only look for a mentor ✅ Pair mentorship with someone who advocates for you behind the scenes 5️⃣ Communicate with confidence ❌“Does that make sense?” ✅ “Let me know if you have any questions.” Comment COURSE and I’ll send you my free 5-day system to go from overlooked to influential.

POV: You’re the overachiever… but somehow still overlooked. Follow me for the playbook on how to get seen, align with leadership, and position yourself for bigger opportunities.