I came across this post on LinkedIn and wanted to write down my version of anti-patterns. I have mentioned signs of feeling burnout in my previous posts. One of the reasons to it has been the lack of executive visibility. It took me ~6 months to realize that the problem was not within me, but the scale of the organization, how the priorities shifted within the executive team and how I had to choose for myself to move on or stay back.

In this post, I want to address how anti-patterns are not spoken about but we experience them. Most of the advice out there is focused on establishing healthy patterns and creating scope & growth but how despite excelling at all this when I was not able to see any results, a part of me started to show signs of soft burnout. I want to voice out about those anti-patterns so that others in a similar situation can relate to it, but mostly get the courage to realize the problem is not within oneself but a broader system. More on the burnout topic in upcoming posts, but in this post I will mostly talk about the anti-patterns of executive visibility.

Disclaimer: This isn’t a post about organization hatred but mostly educational and sharing my experiences around how I tried to cope out from my burnout. I do want to call out I am grateful for all the experiences I have had, without which it is impossible to grow and mature.

Executive visibility is often described in three stages, as described in this comment:

1. Execs must know who you are
2. Then they must trust who you are
3. Then they must respect who you are

It sounds simple. But too often, organizations break down here not because talent isn’t doing the work, but because executives develop blindspots.

Here are the common anti-patterns I have witnessed that prevent leaders from noticing and nurturing bright talent:

☝️ 1. “Be your manager’s go-to person” → Anti-pattern: Managers stop betting on people.
When executives fail to delegate or trust their teams, capable leaders are sidelined. Instead of creating leverage, leaders hoard decisions. This not only kills morale but also prevents talent from proving their worth.

✌️ 2. “Speak up (even when your voice shakes)” → Anti-pattern: Only the loudest voices get heard.
A healthy culture rewards thoughtful contributions, not just volume. Yet in many executive rooms, only those who echo the prevailing agenda are recognized. When leaders fail to listen broadly, they silence the very people who could bring innovation and clarity.

🤟 3. “Share your impact in their language” → Anti-pattern: Leaders don’t connect the dots.
Great managers translate outcomes into business value. But when executives stop listening, invisible work like building culture, retaining talent, or mentoring goes unrecognized. These leadership multipliers don’t show up on a quarterly revenue dashboard, but they are what sustain organizations long term.

🖖 4. “Sponsor > mentor” → Anti-pattern: Absence of sponsorship starves organizations.
Advising talent is easy; sponsoring talent is harder. When executives don’t advocate for capable people in rooms they can’t access, careers stall and organizations lose momentum. The absence of sponsorship is one of the fastest ways to drive attrition.

✋ 5. “Make the ask — silence kills opportunities” → Anti-pattern: Execs ignore the asks.
High-potential leaders self-advocate, and are not feared of rejection or politics because they trust in their work to speak for itself and demonstrate impact. When they do make the ask, executives have a responsibility to listen. Dismissing or ignoring these asks sends a clear message: opportunities are closed off. The result is disengagement and missed potential.

The Leadership Imperative

The hardest work in leadership is often invisible: removing blockers, creating psychological safety, developing careers, stabilizing chaos. Leaders who haven’t walked that path may undervalue it.

True leadership requires more than crisis management and revenue focus. It requires:

• Making every voice heard, not just the loudest ones.
• Giving recognition generously, celebrating both wins and lessons from failures.
• Taking accountability for the invisible work of management.

Because talent doesn’t get noticed on its own. Visibility is cultivated.

And when executives fail to notice, organizations pay the price.