Most people think the interview is where promotions are decided.

So you prepare your talking points. You polish your resume. You rehearse answers to common questions.

And you assume that if you show up well in that moment, the role will follow.

But at the VP level, that’s rarely how it works.

In fact, by the time the interview happens, the decision is often already forming. The interview simply confirms it.

If you’ve ever interviewed for a VP role and walked out thinking you crushed it, and then were disappointed to learn you didn’t land the role, today’s newsletter is for you.

Because many of us have had this experience, and the truth is that your performance in that interview was not the problem. The problem is that the groundwork wasn’t laid months in advance.

Let’s dive in…

What’s actually happening behind the scenes

When a VP role opens, leaders aren’t evaluating candidates from scratch. As they consider all of the candidates, they’re asking themselves questions like:

  • Have we already seen this person operate at that level?
  • Do other leaders trust them?
  • Do they understand the business beyond their function?
  • Would promoting them feel like a safe bet?

In other words, they’re evaluating reputation, not just performance.

Why? Well, because often your leaders aren’t willing to take a big risk when filling a senior role. They want someone who they are fairly sure will be ready to step into that role from day one.

And 9 times out of 10, they are going to choose the person who has already demonstrated the key characteristics of an executive.

Something key to understand is that your reputation is built over time – not in a 45-minute interview. If you want to be the no-brainer choice for that next VP role, you need to start showing up as the ideal candidate months in advance.

Here’s the pattern I see

I’ve worked with so many women who are heads down, trying to demonstrate just how high of a performer they can be.

  • They have no time for ‘politics’
  • Their priority is excellence in their work
  • They are always willing to take on extra to help

And they have no idea how much this is hurting them.

When I ask about spending more time on strategy or getting out of the weeds, I’m often met with the response that their current role just doesn’t allow this.

They think: Once the VP opportunity is real, I’ll step up and start doing things differently.

But often, it’s too late at that point.

I’ll give you an example. One of the women I work with just stepped into a new VP role. And she knew the role was hers before it was posted. She had done the work and demonstrated the skills, and they were opening up this role for her.

Like many organizations, part of the company policy is that the role needs to be posted, and they need to interview a certain number of people before making a formal decision. How many people had a great interview and thought that the role was theirs? The truth is, the ideal candidate had already been decided.

This is not an isolated case – in fact, I can remember deciding to do some restructuring and add a new Director to my team when I was a VP. I knew who I wanted to step into that role before I even had approval on the position.

The leaders who get tapped for VP roles usually start operating at that level long before the role exists.

They are already acting as VPs, not in title, but in how they think, communicate, and lead. When you’re already operating at that next level, the title is simply a formality.

What the “Interview Before the Interview” looks like

The real interview, where your leadership is deciding who is ready for that next level, happens in so many of the moments that people overlook.

It happens in:

  • How you frame decisions in leadership meetings
  • How you navigate cross-functional challenges
  • How you communicate trade-offs and priorities
  • How other leaders experience working with you

Every time you demonstrate to leadership that you understand what really matters, that you focus on the most important priorities, and that you are thinking bigger than your current role, you are laying the foundation for an executive promotion.

Over time, these moments add up and create the picture that others have of you. And that picture answers the question senior leaders care most about:

Does this person already operate like a VP?

And if right now you’re thinking: But I don’t even interact with many of the senior leaders around me…

You’ve found a great place to start. Understanding key stakeholders and ensuring that they know your value is part of your job. Don’t leave it up to chance, and don’t leave it up to your manager. This is on you.

The identity shift

I’ve talked about identity before, but I’m going to mention it again because this is a really important part of showing up as that next-level leader.

The leaders who move into executive roles don’t wait for the title to assume this new identity. They begin thinking and acting differently first, and the title follows.

Instead of asking: What does my team need?

They ask: What does the organization need?

It may seem subtle, but this demonstrates enterprise-level thinking.

Instead of focusing only on execution, they focus on:

  • Priorities
  • Trade-offs
  • Long-term implications

They demonstrate that they understand what matters to the organization, and that they can make the right calls to ensure future success. In other words, they start leading at the next level, even before they are in the position.

What’s next?

Here’s a great exercise you can do in 5 minutes right now. Ask yourself the following question:

If a VP role opened in my organization tomorrow, have the senior leaders around me already seen me operate at the next level?

Or would the interview be the first time they’re evaluating you that way?

Be honest with yourself about this, and if you know that you would be relying on the interview to shape those perceptions, it’s time to show up differently starting Monday morning.

Because most of the time, the interview isn’t where your promotion is decided, it’s where your reputation is confirmed. And that reputation is built in the months and even years leading up to that moment.

This transition from strong operator to strategic leader is exactly the shift we work on inside Own Your Seat at the Table.​

Because the sooner you start leading at that level, the sooner those promotion conversations start happening.

If you want to join the many women I’ve helped step into their first-time VP roles, ​book a call with me personally to learn more​. Let’s get you there.

Until next time friends… ✌️💜

Katy