by David Kong

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When I left Hong Kong, my father gave me simple, well-intentioned advice: keep your head down, work hard, and things will take care of themselves. For many immigrants, that was the conventional wisdom. Stay out of trouble. Work harder than everyone else. Let your results speak for themselves.

Early in my career, that advice served me well. I focused on execution, delivered strong results, and built a reputation for reliability. Hard work opened doors and created opportunities. It gave me confidence that effort and discipline would be enough to carry me forward.

But as I moved beyond the individual contributor phase, I noticed something had changed. Decisions were being made in rooms I wasn’t in. Opportunities were going to others who were not necessarily working harder, but who were better known, better connected, and more visible within the organization. It was a difficult realization. While my head was down, I wasn’t seeing the broader landscape around me.

Over time, I came to understand that my father’s advice was not wrong, but it was incomplete. Hard work is essential, but it is only one part of what drives career growth.

Results, I learned, get you recognized by your manager. Delivering strong performance builds credibility and trust, and it is the foundation of any successful career. But results alone have a limited audience. As roles expand, success depends not only on what you deliver, but also on how you engage with others.

Relationships are what get you recognized by the organization. Building trust across teams and functions increases your visibility and broadens your influence. People begin to understand not just what you do, but how you think, how you collaborate, and how you lead.

And ultimately, sponsorship is what gets you promoted. This was perhaps the most important lesson. A sponsor is someone who advocates for you when you are not in the room - someone willing to put their credibility behind you. Mentors can guide and advise, but sponsors actively help create opportunities. Without that advocacy, it is difficult to move forward, especially in larger and more complex organizations.

These lessons reshaped how I approached both my career and my leadership philosophy. I still believe deeply in the work ethic my father instilled in me. Hard work remains the foundation. But I have come to believe that it is not enough on its own.

If you do not speak up, it is difficult to be seen. And if you are not seen, it is difficult for others to advocate for you. Your work cannot speak for itself if no one is listening.

This realization is especially important for those who, like me, were taught to stay humble and avoid drawing attention to themselves. While humility is a strength, invisibility can become a limitation. As leaders, we also have a responsibility to recognize this dynamic in others. Many talented individuals go unnoticed not because they lack ability, but because they lack visibility. Creating an environment where those voices are heard is part of effective leadership.

Looking back, I remain grateful for my father’s advice. It gave me the discipline and resilience to succeed. But like much advice we receive early in life, it needed to evolve with experience.

Work hard, but also be seen. Build relationships, and seek out those who will advocate for you. That is how careers truly move forward.

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