Removing the Invisibility Cloak
In Episode 53 of Why Care?, I had the pleasure of sitting on the sofa with the wonderful Montell Douglas, a groundbreaking athlete known for her historic achievement as the UK’s first woman to compete in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
We touched on how Montell’s upbringing shaped her drive and work ethic, the disparities she’s seen in sport and media, and - more personally - the barriers she faced in getting the recognition for her incredible achievements. This got me thinking about the recognition gap that shows up in many workplaces - how some people’s achievements, efforts, and strengths are routinely seen and celebrated, whilst others go unnoticed. Let’s unpack.
Why does recognition disparity exist?
Like many inclusion challenges at work, recognition gaps are often unintentional. We may not even realise they exist, or even that we’re contributing to them, and they manifest in many ways. For example, a 2024 BBC article spotlighted what it called “the unpaid emotional labour” of women in the workplace. It highlighted how many women are expected to take on supporting roles in workplaces that go unacknowledged, such as “checking in with co-workers, being a team player, coming across as agreeable, sending emails, having watercooler conversations”. These actions aren’t expected of their male counterparts and don’t earn promotions, but “failing to do them can still carry penalties, such as being labelled rude or unapproachable”.
Along the same vein, it is sometimes hard to spot something if we are not looking for it in the first place. For example, our personal biases (and we all have them) mean we are often drawn to people who conform to our framework of what a leader looks or sounds like, which sets us up to miss leadership traits in others that are invaluable but atypical, such as emotional intelligence or quiet consistency.
Finally, some people are taught, whether explicitly or through social conditioning, to celebrate their achievements loudly, whereas for others, self-promotion feels unnatural and even uncomfortable. This often comes down to gender or cultural norms, and it significantly influences whose efforts get recognised in the workplace.
Why is this a problem?
When organisations fail or are slow to recognise contributions from employees equally, performance suffers, morale dips and people often disengage. But beyond the immediate impact on output and retention, recognition disparity critically reinforces systemic inequality. If those already underrepresented are also under-acknowledged, they rarely get funnelled into leadership roles, and the cycle of invisibility deepens - diverse talent is lost before it’s ever fully flourished.
How can leaders tackle recognition disparity?
Here’s how to start shifting the culture:
Listen beneath the surface.
Ask employees what extra roles do they take on - formally or informally? What forms of invisible labour are they carrying that benefit the team but aren’t part of their job title?
Encourage transparency around recognition.
Ask team members how they like to be acknowledged - and when they’ve felt overlooked. Not everyone wants public praise, but everyone wants to feel valued. Building psychological safety means asking, listening, and acting on what people say.
Adjust your lens.
Challenge your own assumptions about what “leadership” or “impact” looks like. Is it the person who speaks the most in meetings, or the one who quietly mentors junior staff and holds the team together during difficult transitions?Embed equity in performance reviews.
Make invisible labour visible. Build it into your evaluation frameworks. Make space for peers and managers to highlight consistent behind-the-scenes contributions.
How can Avenir help?
At Avenir, our Inclusive Leadership Programme equips leaders with the toolbox they need to foster inclusive workplaces.
My book, Beyond Discomfort: Why inclusive leadership is so hard (and what you can do about it), is also an invaluable tool for learning how to harness discomfort as a catalyst for positive change and greater returns. You can get your hands on a copy of the book here. It is also available as an audiobook to listen to on the go.