How to Position Yourself as VP-Ready (Without the Cringe)

Maya Grossman
May 12
3 min read

A lot of people assume promotions are awarded like prizes.

That if you just work hard enough, stay patient, and keep delivering, someone will eventually tap you on the shoulder and say, “Hey—you’re up next.”

But that’s not how it works.

People don’t get promoted because they met expectations.

They get promoted because they exceeded perception.

And perception?

That starts forming long before Q4.

April - August is when the invisible shortlist is made.

If VP is the title you want in 2025, you need to start shaping the right narrative—right now.

Q2 Isn’t the Warm-Up. It’s the Interview.

A lot of the time, we treat the first half of the year like runway.

We think we can settle in, take it easy, and then turn it on when promotion season comes around.

But by the time your company starts having those conversations?

It’s already too late to start influencing how you’re seen.

Because promotions aren’t decided at the performance review. It’s just when they are revealed.

Right now is when managers start noticing who communicates like a VP.

Who brings clarity in meetings.

Who thinks beyond their function.

Who leads cross-functional conversations without being asked.

The real interview isn’t on your calendar. It’s in how you show up every day, when no one’s naming names yet.

Show Up Like the Title Is Already Yours

This is the part where most ambitious people stumble.

They want to be seen as VP material. But they don’t yet act like it.

Because acting like it means more than hitting your goals.

It means shaping perception:

How do you speak when you present?
How do you make decisions when priorities are messy?
How do you operate when your manager is in the room—and when they’re not?

The best don’t wait for the title to start leading. They make it obvious that the title is overdue.

Here’s How You Start Positioning Yourself Right Now

If you want to be seen as a VP in Q4, this is the moment to move intentionally.

Here’s what to focus on in the next couple of months:

1. Make Your Thinking Visible

Don’t just do good work—make the why and how behind it easy to follow.

Summarize tradeoffs. Share rationale. Show your strategic process.

People don’t promote what they don’t understand.

Quick action: After every key decision or project milestone, write a short summary of your logic and outcomes. Share it in a team meeting, email, or Slack channel.

2. Speak in Outcomes, Not Tasks

VPs aren’t measured by activity. They’re measured by impact.

Start framing your updates around results, decisions, and influence.

Instead of “I built X,” say “I enabled Y result by delivering X.

Quick action: Review your last three status updates or check-ins. Rewrite each one to highlight the impact, not the tasks.

3. Lead Without the Title

You don’t need permission to show leadership.

Start shaping direction, facilitating alignment, and making your manager’s job easier.

Act like a peer to VPs before you're called one.

Quick action: Identify one meeting this week where you can step up to clarify next steps, suggest a strategic pivot, or resolve ambiguity—then do it.

4. Expand Your Influence Across Functions

The higher you go, the more cross-functional you must be.

Build relationships outside your immediate team.

Make your name known in rooms your manager isn’t in.

Quick action: Identify three people in adjacent teams whose work intersects with yours. Reach out and schedule a 20-minute connect in the next two weeks.

5. Ask for Feedback—and Act on It Publicly

The most promotable people are the ones who evolve.

Ask what would make you a “clear yes” for the next level—and then demonstrate visible progress toward it.

Quick action: Ask your manager or a trusted senior leader, “What would I need to consistently demonstrate to be seen as VP-ready by end of year?” Then write down their response and take action quickly and report back your progress.