Zainab Aderounmu 
Imagine lighting a candle and then placing it beneath a black table. The room remains dark, not because the light doesn’t exist, but because it’s been hidden. That is what happens when a woman who holds a leadership role chooses to remain unseen and unknown.
In today’s male-dominated workplaces, it can feel easier for a woman to stay in the background. Her ideas are often talked over, her contributions overlooked, and any woman who dares to be visible is often labelled as “too ambitious.” Yet the cost of staying invisible is far greater than the discomfort of being labelled ambitious. Visibility isn’t just personal, it shapes possibilities for every woman who comes after. Imagine if leaders like Jacinda Ardern and Michelle Obama chose not to tell their stories, leaving the world to fill the silence with assumptions. Their voices shaped narratives that would have otherwise been defined by others.
Take Jacinda, for instance. She refused to let public commentary overshadow her own account of her time as Prime Minister. The documentary Prime Minister offers a fuller picture. It chronicles who she was before stepping into office, the moments leading up to her accepting the role, her campaign journey, and the realities of leadership along the way.
During her tenure, she was called many unflattering names and mischaracterized in ways that could easily have become the dominant story if she had stayed silent. By owning her narrative, she not only countered those misconceptions but also created a powerful blueprint for other women. She provided an example of what a high-achieving woman in leadership looks like, something that’s still far too rare in society.
Breaking the Jinx
How can you move from unseen to visible without compromising your values? The first step is to define what visibility means to you and what you want it to achieve. For Jacinda, visibility meant preserving her story as Prime Minister in her own words, rather than allowing a distorted public narrative to take its place. That should be the foundation for anyone seeking authentic visibility; if you don’t tell your story, someone else will, and their version may be far from the truth.
Then, show up strategically and intentionally. It’s about inspiring with your story rather than impressing. Show up intentionally, and document important moments. Jacinda knew her story would matter afterwards, so she intentionally granted interviews, recorded her thoughts during strategic moments in real time instead of trying to look back.
Finally, visibility is about authenticity and alignment, not perfection. Seeking professional support and delegating the operational work can make the process easier, just as Jacinda’s husband recorded many of her behind-the-scenes moments. But ultimately, being intentional about capturing key experiences, documenting your growth, and weaving those pieces into a compelling personal narrative is what ensures your story is told accurately and powerfully. It’s how you leave a record that reflects who you truly are, not who others assume you to be.
Zainab ADEROUNMU A. W. is a First Class graduate of English Language and the Overall Best Graduating Student from the Lagos State University, Lagos Nigeria. She’s a professional Master of Ceremonies, known as The Hijabi Compere , a public speaking coach and Communications Professional. She is currently a Youth advisor to the European Union where she doubles as the Spokesperson and Head of Communications & PR for the Youth Sounding Board.