You’ve probably heard people say, “Act like an executive.” But no one ever explains what that actually means, especially on a Tuesday at 3 p.m. when you’re buried in Slack messages and fighting to hit deadlines. During my 20 years in corporate and across two VP roles, I’ve managed dozens of high performers. I’ve helped people move from Senior Manager to Director, from Director to Senior Director. I’ve also had moments when I couldn’t confidently put someone forward for promotion, even though...

If you’re a Director in tech aiming for VP, this scenario may feel uncomfortably familiar. Six months from now, someone with less experience and fewer deliverables lands the promotion you wanted. Not because they worked harder, but because they did the emotionally uncomfortable work you avoided. This post breaks down why working harder doesn’t lead to VP promotions, what actually creates executive leverage, and how Directors get promoted to VP by building visibility, influence, and strategic...

Can you remember how you felt walking into your first meeting with senior leadership? I can. I was scared. My palms were sweaty. I rehearsed my slides over and over… And still, I felt like a nervous intern pretending to be ready. My inner monologue was on fire: “What if I can’t answer their questions?" “What if I sound like I don’t belong in the room?” “What if this is the moment they realize I’m not ‘VP material’ after all?” It wasn’t that I didn’t know what I was talking about. It was the...