How to position yourself for executive roles

Paint a view of the bright horizon!

Recently, I helped a client prep for a VP interview. And she got a top notch offer!

She had nearly two decades of experience, had built teams from scratch, turned around underperforming regions, and was known for being the person you called when things were on fire. She walked into the session with a document that listed every job she’d held and what she did in each one.

It was impressive. But it read like a mid-level resume. And that was the problem.

Initially, when I asked her to tell me her story she went job by job. Title, duties, a few big wins. Then onto the next. It was a laundry list. No theme. No sense of direction.

And no doubt, that’s how most people tell their story.

We don't connect the dots

We think that if we’ve done good work, and we can show it clearly, that’s enough.

But when you’re aiming for an executive role, the bar shifts. You’re not just being evaluated on whether you’ve done things. You’re being evaluated on whether you can think like an executive.

Whether you can hold a room.

Whether you can inspire confidence.

Whether you have vision.

And most importantly: whether you can tell the story of where you’re going, not just where you’ve been.

You don’t get hired because of your years of experience

The best executive candidates aren’t necessarily the most accomplished or have the most experience. They’re the ones who can make people believe in something.

And how do they accomplish that in the short time frame of an interview?

They connect the dots from the beginning.

They say, “I started here. This experience shaped me. That challenge taught me how to lead. This win showed me what scale looks like. And now I’m ready to lead something bigger.”

They speak in arcs. They reveal patterns. They make it easy for a decision-maker to say:

“Ah, yes, this person is already operating at that level.”

So how do you start?

I’ll give you what I give my clients.

1. Start with the throughline

What’s the consistent thread that runs through your work?

Maybe you’re the fixer.

Maybe you build things from scratch.

Maybe you scale what others can’t.

Maybe you turn chaos into clarity.

Once you find it, write it down in one sentence. That’s your leadership identity. You need one - trust me!

2. Identify the inflection points

These are the moments that shaped you: the career pivots, the crises you led through, the promotions you earned the hard way. The moments where you stopped being just good at your job and started becoming a leader.

Pick 2 or 3. Tell them like stories. Use the hero's journey as a template. What changed after each one?

3. Learn to speak in outcomes

Executives aren’t hired to do tasks — they’re hired to drive results. So instead of saying:

“I managed a regional sales team of 12…”

Say:

“I rebuilt a declining region by reworking the sales structure, boosting close rates by 22% in 9 months.”

You’re not just showing what you did. You’re showing what it did for the business.

4. End with direction

The best executive stories show how they created impact and how that can be transferred for the benefit of this company.

End with:

“Everything I’ve done has prepared me to lead at a broader level where I’m not just responsible for execution, but for the vision, the people, and the performance.”

And then…how to position yourself for executive roles?

practice it.

Not memorize it. Practice it.

Say it out loud. Use it in interviews, on LinkedIn, in networking chats. See what sticks. See where you lose people. Adjust. This is how the best candidates position for the hard to get executive roles.

One last thing

Most of the people I work with hesitate to name their ambition. Especially women. Especially women of color. They tell their stories in safe terms. Words like “team player” and “hard worker” and “supportive leader.” That’s fine. But it’s not how people remember executives. You don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not. But you do have to own who you’ve become.

You’re not just someone who’s “done the job.”

You’re someone who’s led. Someone who’s delivered. Someone who’s ready.

Tell the story like you believe it. Because then you are ready to command a big compensation package.

---

If you are ready, set up some time with me. I offer 30 minutes of complimentary time to determine if my services are right for you! Book here.