A few weeks ago, a Director shared this with me:
“I’m delivering. Everything is on track.
But I have no idea if anyone sees me as ready for VP.”
That’s not a confidence issue.
That’s a leadership visibility problem.
In most organizations, this is actually a system problem.
The real reason strong Directors get stuck
When you reach the Director level, things change, but no one really explains what’s different.
You’re no longer evaluated on:
• Execution
• Delivery
• Hitting milestones
Now, you’re judged on things that aren’t written down anywhere:
• How you shape decisions before they’re made
• How you influence peers and executives
• How you think in enterprise tradeoffs
• How replaceable you’ve made yourself
Here’s the real issue:
You’re being judged on these things, but no one tells you how.
What actually happens behind closed doors
In promotion discussions, no one says:
“He delivered all his projects, promote him.”
Instead, the conversation usually goes like this:
“I trust him to run his function, but I don’t see him thinking enterprise-wide yet.”
“He gives good updates, but I’m not sure he’s influencing outcomes.”
“Strong operator, not sure he’s ready to sit at the table.”
That’s when strong Directors get labeled as:
“Not quite ready.”
No clear reason. No useful feedback.
Just stuck.
The leadership visibility gap no one is showing you
The difference between being a Director and a VP isn’t about doing more work.
It’s about how you show up in a few key moments:
• Executive meetings
• Cross-functional tradeoff decisions
• Escalations and high-stakes conversations
• Talent and succession discussions
Most Directors:
• Report progress
• Solve problems
• Run their teams well
But VPs do things differently:
• Shape the decision before the meeting
• Frame issues in business terms like revenue, margin, and risk
• Simplify complexity for executives
• Build leaders who can replace them
If you’re not doing these things regularly, people may already see you as not ready. Even if no one has said it out loud.
Why feedback isn’t helping
You’ve probably asked:
“What do I need to do to get to the next level?”
And you get:
“Be more strategic.”
“Increase executive presence.”
“Think bigger.”
That’s not real feedback. It’s just a placeholder.
The truth is, most leaders can’t clearly explain the gap either.
What actually works
The Directors I’ve seen move up don’t just work harder.
They get specific about two things:
• How they are currently being perceived in promotion rooms
• What behaviors signal VP-ready in high-visibility moments
Once they get clear on this, things change quickly.
It’s not about changing who they are. It’s about changing how they show up when it counts.
If you’re reading this and thinking “This is exactly where I’m stuck…”
The next step isn’t to work harder.
It’s to get clear.
• How are you likely being discussed when you’re not in the room?
• Where is the gap between your performance and your perceived readiness?
• What would a VP have done differently in your last exec meeting?
That’s what you need to focus on.
If you want help with this
I work with Directors specifically on this gap:
• Decoding how you’re being perceived at the next level
• Identifying the exact behaviors holding you back
• Repositioning how you show up in the moments that drive promotion decisions
So you’re no longer left guessing.
You’re positioning.
If you want to understand where you stand and what to change before your next review, let me know.
Stop guessing. Start positioning.
