How to Influence Perception and Accelerate Your Career… Lessons from a Social Chameleon
About three years on, Episode 1 of The Black Sherpa Podcast is still the most-listened-to episode
… the show has had thousands of plays, is five-star rated on all platforms… and new people are still message me saying, “I wish I heard this five years ago.”
The funny part?
It almost didn’t happen.
No studio. No producer. Not even a paid Zoom account. To be clear… still no studio or producer.
We got kicked out every 40 minutes and had to restart… three separate sessions stitched together just to survive the time limit.
But maybe that was perfect.
Because before Black Sherpa was a platform… it was a conversation between two real people navigating real systems with invisible rules.
And Tim Philip… the guest on that very first episode… was the one person I trusted to let me fail publicly.
He wasn’t just a guest. He was the safe beginning.
And the wisdom he shared that day is still some of the most important we’ve ever published.
I’ve never taken a moment to let this sink in… people on every continent have listened to the Black Sherpa Podcast. That blows my mind. Thank you.
“If you don’t shape perception, you can be excellent… and still invisible.”
Tim’s story wasn’t born from strategy… it was born from frustration.
He once applied to multiple medical schools with strong grades, work experience, and achievement.
He got zero interviews.
A decade later, he discovered why:
“My headteacher actively discouraged them from interviewing me.
And he never told me.”
And then the line I’ll never forget:
“I wasn’t just disappointed… I was humiliated. I genuinely thought I’d earned my shot.
To later learn someone erased me from opportunity, silently… that stayed with me.”
That’s when his life changed.
Not because he “got stronger.”
But because he stopped assuming the system was neutral.
He began treating perception as part of the job… not an afterthought.
What it actually means to be a Social Chameleon (Not what you think)
Tim describes himself as a Social Chameleon, but not the way most people misunderstand it.
This is not about pretending to be someone else.
It’s about mastering adaptive self-awareness… the ability to exist in any room without self-erasure.
“Growing up mixed-heritage, I never fully fit anywhere.
It made me hyper-aware of people and dynamics. Now I see that as an advantage… it gives you range.”
True chameleon energy isn't selling out.
It’s being able to read context… without negotiating your identity.
That’s why leaders who carry lived tension often evolve into the best decision-makers.
They’ve had to translate, for survival… long before it became a “leadership competency.”
When staying is the braver move than leaving
At MSD (Merck), Tim found alignment… intellectually and culturally.
But when his progression stalled… repeatedly, he hit the point most people exit.
Instead, he did something few people have the courage to do:
“I asked what was being said about me when I wasn’t in the room.
And I asked them to take all the varnish off.”Not “how am I doing?”
Not “what are my strengths?”
He asked for the version most people aren’t brave enough to hear.
And that clarity gave him leverage.
Not theoretical clarity… strategic clarity.
How to ask for feedback that actually changes your trajectory
Most professionals ask for feedback in ways that guarantee vague, polite answers.
Here’s Tim’s blueprint for how to do it correctly:
When asking for feedback:
“I’m serious about moving up… please don’t soften anything.”
“What are the concerns or hesitations raised about me when I’m not present?”
“What would I specifically need to demonstrate… or stop doing to remove that barrier?”
When giving feedback to others:
“I always start with: What do you want this feedback for… and how direct do you want me to be?”
That one question alone turns feedback from threat into partnership.
Sideways isn’t failure… It’s strategy
Tim once made what looked like a “step back.”
He took a short-term role in digital transformation, at a time when digital wasn’t widely valued in pharma.
Then COVID happened.
Digital became the centre of the industry.
And Tim wasn’t catching up… he was already positioned.
“Your career isn’t a vertical escalator.
Sometimes sideways is the smartest way up.”
This mindset… positioning over title, is something we now actively teach inside the 29k Club.
Key career strategies from this conversation
Perception moves before promotion. You cannot afford to be passive about what’s being said in rooms you don’t enter.
Ask for feedback like a peer, not a student. Own your ambition before you request critique.
Sideways moves are not detours… they’re positioning. Play for trajectory, not applause.
Adaptability is not compromise… it’s precision. The most powerful people navigate difference without diminishing themselves.
Never leave before confirming whether the ceiling is real… or simply unchallenged.
Why this episode still lives three years later
Because it wasn’t content.
It was a survival manual disguised as a conversation.
Too many professionals aren’t blocked by ambition… they’re blocked by silence, misunderstanding, and being unseen.
This episode remains the blueprint for how to navigate systems with intelligence instead of exhaustion.
And this… is exactly why The Black Sherpa and 29k Club exist.
To make sure access is never the reason potential is wasted.
Experimenting… The wallpaper was louder than our microphones… but we made it work. EP1 with Tim.
Leadership Challenge… If you’ve read this far, do not scroll away
Who do you need to ask for the unfiltered version from, this week, not next quarter?
Where have you been waiting to be noticed… instead of making your progress undeniable?
Are you adapting to connect… or shrinking to be accepted? There is a difference.
Clarity is power.
Feedback is fuel.
Adaptability is advantage.
Climb steady.
Yam
🎧 Listen to the original Episode 1 with my guy Tim below
I’m Yam – Founder of The Black Sherpa
Founder | Strategist | Speaker | Host of The Black Sherpa Podcast
I founded The Black Sherpa to create a world where talent rises on merit and no one’s potential is held back by bias or barriers.
Through bold strategy, storytelling, and our flagship community, The 29k Club - I help professionals grow with confidence and support leaders to build cultures that truly live their values.
Let’s connect and build a future where inclusion powers performance, and leadership reflects the world we serve.