In today’s newsletter, I want to talk about habits. Often when we think about habits, we think about our habits outside of work: the good habits we want to create around our health, maybe with food or exercise, or the bad habits we want to kick, like eating candy or drinking less.

Very few of us spend time thinking about our work habits. But when it comes to demonstrating that you’re ready for that next level of leadership, your habits at work become really important.

So today, I’m going to break down five habits that will signal to leadership that you are VP-ready. These are things you want to be doing regularly that may not even be on your radar. If you’re feeling stuck and start to implement these, I can almost guarantee you’ll see a shift.

Let’s dive in…

Habit #1: You document decisions

At first, you might be thinking, “Well, of course I document decisions,” but the key shift here is to move from documenting the actions to documenting the logic. Let me break it down.

Director-Level Habit:

  • You track action items.
  • You send recap emails.
  • You document process steps.
  • You focus on execution clarity.

None of these things are bad, but they’re too tactical to be considered strategic.

VP-Level Habit:

  • You document the decision logic.
  • You capture assumptions.
  • You make a note of the risks discussed.
  • You clarify what would cause a pivot.

Executives care less about “What did we do?” and more about “Why did we choose this path?” When you move to documenting the logic, you’re creating the institutional memory that answers this question.

And you’re showing promotion readiness because you’re demonstrating strategic thinking and reducing second-guessing on decisions.

Habit #2: You clarify trade-offs

This one is huge, and it’s an area where I see many women struggle and experience frustration. If you share problems and identify risks but are seen as a complainer instead of getting the response you want, this may be why.

Here’s the difference:

Director-Level Habit:

  • You try to optimize everything.
  • You ask for more resources.
  • You present problems without cost framing.
  • You push for best-case outcomes.

Executives live in trade-offs, so instead of presenting options, you want to be framing consequences.

VP-Level Habit:

You name trade-offs clearly (and without attachment):

  • “If we prioritize X, Y will slow.”
  • “We can reduce cost or increase speed, not both.”
  • “This decision shifts risk to Q4.”

I learned this when I was on a leadership team and noticed that while I was asking for resources, my VP and C-suite colleagues would say things like, “I want to ensure that we’re all aware of the risks,” and then they would lay out the trade-off so we could make a decision as a team.

I noticed how much more effective this was (vs. what I was doing), and once I made this switch, people saw me as a more senior and strategic leader.

Habit #3: You think in 12-18 month horizons

This is one of the easiest ways to separate yourself from being an operator and demonstrate more strategic thinking.

Director-Level Habit:

  • Quarterly goals.
  • Annual targets.
  • Immediate team performance.

Yes, you need to hit short-term targets, but instead of just focusing on immediate goals, you need to consider what challenges may come up in the future AND plan for them.

VP-Level Habit:

  • Talent bench depth next year.
  • Market shifts.
  • Organizational fatigue.
  • Cross-functional dependencies 4 quarters out.

You ask yourself powerful questions like:

  • “What breaks in a year if we don’t solve this?”
  • “What capability are we building long term?”
  • “As we grow, is this org structure scalable or will it break?”

Habit #4: You protect thinking time

This habit is related to habit #3 because, frankly, if you want to have these insights, you need the time and space to ask yourself these powerful questions and think through the answers.

If you know me, you know I talk a lot about this!

Director-Level Habit:

  • Back-to-back meetings.
  • Always available.
  • Respond immediately to Slack/Meets/emails.
  • You feel that busy = productive.

If you’re running a million miles a minute, you’ll never have the space to think strategically or communicate intentionally. Slow down to speed up…

VP-Level Habit:

  • You block strategic time and protect it.
  • You don’t apologize for spending time thinking.
  • You’re okay with silence before responding.
  • You think before committing to something.

When you do these things, you’re demonstrating that you’re thoughtful and intentional, which are key to being seen as executive material.

Habit #5: You build stakeholder maps

This is the most political of the five. For years, I made the mistake of saying, “I don’t play politics,” but this hurt my ability to influence and ultimately to become an executive.

Over time, I learned that what I called “politics” was strategic relationship building, and it wasn’t political; it was smart.

Director-Level Habit:

  • Engages stakeholders as needed.
  • Focuses on direct reports.
  • Assumes alignment.

Many decisions, including your next promotion, are often made by committee. Get honest about your stakeholder relationships and who you need to better align with.

VP-Level Habit:

You actively map:

  • Who influences this?
  • Who resists this?
  • Who benefits?
  • Who feels threatened?

You consider:

  • Informal power.
  • Historical conflict.
  • Incentive misalignment.

And you work on influencing decisions before the meeting happens.

If “politics” is a dirty word to you, I want to offer a reframe: As you move up in leadership, influence becomes more and more important, and at the root of influence is your ability to form relationships and build trust. Stop calling it politics. Start calling it strategic.

Take a moment and ask yourself which of these habits you have nailed down today, versus which ones you need to work on. Choose one, and actively work to create this habit over the next 30 days.

If you like this type of learning and are looking to become a VP in the next year or 2, the ​Own Your Seat at the Table​ program is perfect for you. Early registration is now open, and I’ve extended the $900 discount until tonight at midnight.

I’ve already helped dozens and dozens of women land first-time Sr. Director, VP and even C-level roles, AND ensure they are thriving there. I’d love to add you to the list.

PS. In case you missed it (hey, we all skim emails), I’m extending the $900 discount for the ​Own Your Seat at the Table​ program until midnight tonight! If you’re looking to become a VP, don’t miss out!

Until next time friends… ✌️💜

Katy