Feedback about being ‘more strategic' is some of the most common and frustrating feedback I hear given to women. And maybe I'm biased or scarred, because this is the feedback I got all the time, and it made zero sense to me – but to me, this feedback is just not all that helpful.

It's so vague that most of us receiving this feedback have no idea what we are supposed to do differently. And still, every time I bring this up, multiple women share that this is exactly what they're hearing.

So if you’ve been told to “be more strategic,” let me translate it for you, because it almost never means what you think.

Most of the time, when a leader says you need to be more strategic, they’re not saying you lack capability. They’re saying they can’t see your strategic impact. The value you're creating is invisible to them, even though you’re doing the work.

Here’s the thing I need you to understand: you're probably being strategic. You’re just not communicating it in a way that lands with decision-makers.

Many of the women I work with have business degrees, MBAs and/or strategy in their title!! And yet, they still aren't being perceived as ready for the next level. So what gives?

In today's newsletter, I want to share the one thing that actually closes that gap.

Let’s dive in…

It’s not that you’re not strategic – it’s that they can’t see it

When I was stuck as a director, I was technically doing the VP job. I was thinking strategically, managing risk, and making trade-offs every single day. But I kept getting feedback that I wasn’t ready. In fact, the words I heard from my boss (our CEO) regularly were:

“You're not quite there yet. I need to see you be more strategic.”

What I didn’t understand at the time was that the gap wasn’t between me and the role. The gap was between what I was doing and what my boss could actually see. I was being strategic. I just wasn’t making it visible.

And I see this all the time now with the women I work with. They are strategic. They’re making smart decisions, thinking about the big picture, weighing trade-offs constantly. But they’re not communicating any of that in a way that registers with the people making promotion decisions.

So instead of being seen as a strategic thinker, they’re seen as a really strong executor. And there is a big difference between those two things when it comes to getting promoted. The strong executor gets told, “keep doing what you’re doing.” The strategic thinker gets asked to weigh in on decisions that are above her pay grade. One of those paths leads to a VP role. The other leads to more of the same.

The fix isn’t working harder or getting another certification – it’s changing what you communicate and how you communicate it.

Stop reporting what you did – start reporting what you decided

Think about the last time you gave an update to your boss or to a group of senior leaders. Did you lead with what you did? Or did you lead with the decisions you made and why?

Most directors report on activity. They talk about what their team accomplished, what projects are on track, what’s been delivered. And that makes sense – it shows you’re managing well and your team is producing results.

But it doesn’t show that you’re thinking at the VP level. It shows that you’re a great director.

VPs communicate differently. They lead with decisions and trade-offs. They talk about what they chose, what they gave up, why it mattered, and what they’re monitoring as a result. This is a completely different kind of communication, and it’s the one that shows people you're not just running your function well; you're thinking about the business.

Here’s what this looks like in practice:

Instead of: “I managed three vendor negotiations this quarter and optimized the procurement process.”

You say: “I made the decision to consolidate our vendor base from 8 to 3. This freed up 40 hours per quarter for the team and reduced our contract complexity, but it meant we lost some redundancy in our supply chain. Here’s how we’re mitigating that risk.”

The first one tells your boss what you did. The second one shows your boss how you think. And when people are deciding whether you’re ready for the next level, how you think is what they’re evaluating.

They want to know that you can see the bigger picture, weigh competing priorities, and make a call. If all they’re hearing from you is a list of accomplishments, they have no way of knowing whether you can do that.

This is a muscle, not a talent

I want to be really clear about something: this isn’t some natural gift that certain people have, and others don’t. It’s a muscle. And like any muscle, it gets stronger the more you use it.

Here’s a simple way to think about it. Every time you’re giving an update, writing a status report, or talking to your leadership team, run through these four things:

Name the decision you made. Not the work you did – the decision. What did you choose? This immediately positions you as someone who makes calls, not someone who just executes on what’s been handed to them.

State the trade-off. What did you give up by making this choice? What’s the risk? Naming trade-offs is one of the biggest things that separates director-level communication from VP-level communication. Most people avoid this because they think it makes them look unsure. It’s actually the opposite. It shows you understand that every decision has a cost, and you’re not afraid to own it.

Show the reasoning. Why did you make this call? What data or context informed it? This is where you show your thinking, not just your output. And it’s what makes people trust your judgment, because they can see it.

Land on the impact. What did this decision unlock? What changed as a result? This is what makes your work visible to people who aren’t in the weeds with you every day. If you don’t connect the dots for them, they’ll never see it.

I had a client who was considered a high performer, even critical to the business. She had great relationships, got stuff done and checked every box, and still wasn't being seen as VP material. As soon as she started making these shifts, she was offered the VP position – and it all happened in less than 12 weeks.

And the truth is, she isn't unique. This is the same story of SO many of my clients. And it's taught me that these small changes have a bigger impact than you think!

Try this – and tell me how it goes

Pick one update you’re giving this week. It could be a status report, a team meeting, a one-on-one with your boss – whatever you’ve got coming up.

Before you walk in, reframe your update using the framework above. Instead of telling them what happened, tell them what you decided, what you traded off, why, and what it means.

Pay attention to how differently people respond to you. I bet you’ll notice a change almost immediately, because most people are still communicating like directors, so when you communicate like a VP, it stands out. And the more you do it, the more natural it becomes, until it’s just how you operate.

If you try this, I’d love to hear about it. Hit reply and tell me how it went!

The bottom line

“Be more strategic” is frustrating feedback because it feels personal. But most of the time, it’s not about your capability at all. It’s about your communication style. You’re probably already thinking strategically. You just need to start making that visible to the people who matter.

The good news? That’s 100% in your control. And it doesn’t take years to change. It takes intention.

Ready to close the perception gap for good?

If this is hitting home and you want help being seen as the VP-level leader you already are, early bird registration is now open for the next cohort of ​Own Your Seat at the Table​, my exec leadership program for women who want to land that VP or senior leadership role and thrive there.

How you communicate is just one piece of what we work on together. We go deep on how you show up, how you build the relationships that matter, and how to make sure that when the promotion conversation happens, you’re the obvious choice.

My mission is to help you show up as the best leader you can be and land that promotion. And having the right person in your corner is often the key to making that happen.

Early bird pricing ended last night at midnight, but I'm extending it until midnight tonight if you missed out. If you’ve been thinking about it, now’s the time.

Until next time friends… ✌️💜

Katy