A few weeks ago, I ran a LinkedIn poll where I asked a simple question: What’s been your biggest challenge in breaking through to VP? I got over 500 responses:
Here are the results:
- 20% said their own confidence was holding them back
- 14% thought it was a lack of business acumen
- 31% said executive presence
- 35% had no clue what was holding them back
Let me just say that again: 1 in 3 women have no idea what’s holding them back from a VP role!
Y’all, this is a big problem.
So today, I’d like to dive into the results from the poll, share why they matter, and give you some next steps, if you see yourself in these answers.
Let’s dive in…
It’s not skills, and we know it
I found it really interesting and encouraging that very few women answered that business acumen was holding them back. Here’s the thing: we’re more educated than ever. We know our stuff.
And we know it.
Often, women spend a lot of time and effort improving skills because they assume this IS what’s holding them back. My guess is a lot of women on this list have already tried this approach and realized it didn’t work.
Case and point: I’ve had many PhD and even MD-educated clients who have struggled to land senior leadership roles. Clearly not a case of lacking knowledge!
Confidence is still killing us
1 in 5, or 20% of the women who answered, felt their confidence was holding them back. This makes a lot of sense because we know that people aren’t very good at assessing competence, so they often use confidence as a proxy to determine it.
Meaning… if you aren’t projecting confidence, you may be seen as less competent. And that can hold you back. Yikes.
The good news is that there are ways you can project confidence, even if you’re not feeling entirely confident in the moment. It’s important to work on building your confidence over time, but you don’t have to wait to start acting more confidently.
Consider things like:
- Posture
- Voice tone
- Language
More good news: I’ve seen many women do a 180 when it comes to their confidence. Here are some quotes from women who recently went through my program on week 12:
“This program is helping me become the best version of myself. I feel very confident and clear-minded all the time.” -S.M.
“Your program had all the elements I was looking for. I was looking to build my confidence, and each session we went through upped my confidence level and communication effectively.” R.H.
“It grounded and solidified my leadership skills, but the biggest takeaway was that I’ve got this. I don’t need to doubt myself.” C.B.
“This group has been pivotal in my career. There is the time before this program and there is the time after. I’m going to remember it so vividly because I’ve had such a mindset shift.” – K.M.
The reason I’m sharing this is to show you that shifting this is absolutely possible!! In fact, 93% of the women who go through my program report being more confident after. 93%!! And you can make this change too.
The dreaded “Executive Presence”
I’m not surprised that this one scored second highest, but I am disappointed by it. Why? Well, because most people who get this feedback have no idea how to improve their executive presence.
The women I’ve spoken to who have received this feedback aren’t even sure what great executive presence looks like, so how on earth are they supposed to improve it?
If you’ve been told you need to work on your executive presence, I encourage you to hold your manager accountable in defining what good executive presence is so you can work to develop it. If they can’t do that, stop putting your career in their hands and look for mentorship outside of your company.
The truth is, they may know it when they see it, but they may not be able to tell you how to develop it.
Executive presence is a topic I’ll tackle in my free upcoming masterclass – if you want to work on yours, you don’t want to miss it!!
And finally, the most popular answer: “I have no freaking idea”
This surprised me a little – I didn’t think it would win. But I get it. Because I was in the EXACT SAME BOAT when I was trying to become a VP. Do you know what this tells me? We have some serious work to do!
This tells me your leaders need to be giving better feedback. And if you’re one of the women in this situation, I’m sorry that your leadership has failed you in this way.
No one should have ‘no freaking idea’ what’s stopping them from getting to the next level!! If you’ve asked for feedback and still have no idea, that’s not on you. It’s on your leadership.
But sadly, YOU are the one who is going to suffer from not knowing what’s holding you back. Because guess what? You can’t fix what you don’t know.
And ladies, this tells me you need three things:
- More tangible feedback on how to land that next role
- Insights into what’s really holding you back
- A mentor to show you the ropes
So I’m personally inviting you to my free live masterclass next week, where I hope to provide all 3 of these to you!
I have been where you are and I figured it out, but it took me 5 years! My goal is to help you get there faster, because more women in senior leadership is the key to closing the gender gap.
And that’s good for everyone. I truly hope to see you next week.
Until next time friends… ✌️💜
Katy
PS. We are just a few days away from the NEW live masterclass – if you saw yourself in this newsletter, don’t miss it. Sign up here and I can’t wait to see you there!!
